Cell therapy prevents transplant rejection
Scientists have found a technique to develop immune cells which prevent the rejection of transplanted organs without the patient having to take strong immune drugs.
Patients usually have to take immunosuppressant medications after a transplant surgery, but such immune drugs have several side effects, including putting the patient in danger of severe infections.
Researchers have developed a new method to control transplant rejection by culturing a patient's T cells with drug cilostamide plus the donated tissue.
Cilostamide, a drug normally used to treat vascular problems, encourages the T cells to differentiate into regulatory T cells, which stop rejection.
A team of Oxford University researchers, in collaboration with colleagues from other British universities and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, have successfully tested the new cell treatment during lab and three new mouse studies.
"We have developed a new approach to generate cells called regulatory T cells (T-regs) that can control rejection of transplanted tissue in mice," said lead researcher Andrew Bushell from Oxford.
"Many research groups across the world are trying to solve this problem because developing better ways to prevent transplant rejection is a big unmet clinical need. Regulatory T cells may provide part of the answer," he added.
During the process, the experts culture the immune cells with cells from the donated tissue. T-regs are taught to recognize the donor tissue and turn off rejection.
According to the findings published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, human regulatory T cells produced through the new method could also control transplant rejection in an experimental mouse bred to have a human-like immune system.
Scientists hope to develop the new method in future to be used in people receiving donated organs instead of forcing them to take long-term immune medication.
Source: presstv.ir
