Dominant regulation of long-term allograft survival is mediated by microRNA-142.

Organ transplantation is often lifesaving, but the long-term deleterious effects of combinatorial immunosuppression regimens and allograft failure cause significant morbidity and mortality. Long-term graft survival in the absence of continuing immunosuppression, defined as operational tolerance, has never been described in the context of multiple major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mismatches. Here, we show that miR-142 deficiency leads to indefinite allograft survival in a fully MHC mismatched murine cardiac transplant model in the absence of exogenous immunosuppression.

Immune biomarkers: the promises and pitfalls of personalized medicine.

Substantial progress in molecular immunology, coupled with an increasing focus on translational research and an enthusiasm for personalized medicine, has resulted in a rapid expansion in the field of immune biomarkers in recent years. In this Science and Society article, we provide a conceptual overview of the field and discuss the progress that has been made so far, as well as the future potential in the context of the scientific, logistical, financial, legal and ethical framework within which this research is being carried out and translated into clinical use.