STEALTH in transplantation tolerance

Immunol Res. 2002;26(1-3):143-52. doi: 10.1385/IR:26:1-3:143.

Abstract

Although contemporary immunosuppressive regimens are responsible for major improvements in allograft acceptance, there are indications that long-term survival may be compromised through drug toxicity and/or chronic immune deficiency. The ultimate goal for transplantation is tolerance, defined as durable, donor-specific allograft acceptance in the absence of long-term immunosuppression. This article reviews the nonhuman primate STEALTH model of tolerance recently developed by the transplant immunobiology group at University of Alabama at Birmingham. The STEALTH model was designed for future application to human transplantation and comprises a concise peritransplant treatment strategy of only 2 wk. Tolerance is induced by depletion of T cells, with concomitant inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB/RelB-dependent proinflammatory signaling. This treatment has resulted in an unprecedented frequency of kidney allograft survival (62.5% at 3 yr), with some primate recipients remaining in good health more than 6 yr posttransplant, in the complete absence of chronic pharmacologic immunosuppression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review
  • Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigen-Presenting Cells / immunology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Graft Rejection
  • Graft Survival
  • Guanidines / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Lymphocyte Depletion
  • Macaca
  • Models, Animal
  • Models, Immunological
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Transplantation Immunology*
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Guanidines
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • gusperimus