Preceeding the rejection: in search for a comprehensive post-transplant immune monitoring platform.

The survival of a transplanted organ is dependent on maintenance of continuous immunosuppression. However, even the strictest adherence to the recommended drug levels does not prevent the occurrence of numerous complications associated with immunosuppression. The efficacy of immunosuppression therapy protocols would be enhanced greatly by the availability of biotechnologies capable of identifying and predicting immunological events prior to the manifestation of clinical parameters indicating graft failure.

Role of siroliumus, a novel immunosuppressive drug in heart and lung transplantation.

Lung and heart transplantation has become an accepted therapeutic option for patients with end-stage disease. However, the calcineurin-inhibitor-based immunosuppression often causes renal impairment. Therefore, sirolimus, a novel immunosuppressive agent, may serve as an alternative or complementary agent to calcineurin inhibitors.

Renal effects of parenteral fish oil administered to heart-beating organ donors and renal-transplant recipients: a tolerance study.

Background & Aims: Nutrition can interfere with organ function during the different stages of transplantation. Oral fish oil supplementation to kidney transplant recipients has been found to improve renal function. The aim of the present study was to determine the safety and tolerance of intravenous administration of fish-oil emulsion to heart-beating brain-dead donors and, subsequently, to the kidney recipients, and to assess its effects on renal function.