Section Review: Biologicals & Immunologicals: Monoclonal antibodies in organ transplantation

Abstract

Despite a large number of clinical trials during the last fifteen years, the success of antibodies in the field of organ transplantation is low. Only one antibody has become a widely accepted drug for the treatment of rejection and at least a possibility for rejection prophylaxis in the first week after transplantation in high risk patients. Most antibodies tested showed only weak immunosuppressive effects in vivo. Additionally, a number of new immunosuppressive drugs became available in many transplantation centres and this further reduced the interest in antibodies. However, antibodies are an effective and well-established means by which to block co-stimulatory signals. Blocking co-stimulatory signals can lead to tolerance induction, which is the only way in which to avoid long-term immu-nosuppression in organ transplant patients.

Key Words:

• transplantation
• monoclonal antibodies
• graft rejection
• tolerance induction
• T-lymphocyte
• co-stimulation