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New Discovery May End Transplant Rejection

Posted by Soulskill on from the time-to-get-that-extra-liver-you've-always-wanted dept.

mmmscience writes with this excerpt from the Examiner: "Big news in the medical world: scientists in Australia have found a way to stop the body from attacking organ transplants, greatly decreasing the possibility of organ rejection. ... When a new tissue is introduced, one's immune system kicks into overdrive, sending out cells known as killer T cells to attack and destroy the unknown tissue. ... Professor Jonathan Sprent and Dr. Kylie Webster from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research focused on a different type of T cells — known as regulatory T cells (Treg) — in this study. Tregs are capable of quieting the immune system, stopping the killer T cells from seeking out and attacking foreign objects."

3 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Wait.... by Random2 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    So, we're effectively giving the person temporary AIDS? Although, thinking about it, if we know how to give someone AIDS, we might know ho

    --
    "Our goal each year should be to increase the number of goals we set for ourselves!"
  2. More complex transplants will be routine? by Bearhouse · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Sounds interesting: "The numbers of T regulatory cells dropped over time, and the immune systems returned to normal in about two weeks. By that time 80% of the mice had accepted the grafts of insulin producing cells as their own."

    OK, so it's for cells in mice, not organs in humans, but still if they can reduce or stop using the rather toxic immuno-supressive drugs now required, that would be big progress.

    Expecially in the light of the expanding scope of transplants, (limbs and even the whole faces now...)

  3. Hope not just yet by Corson · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I really hope this doesn't work out too soon. Shocked? Let me explain: if the prevention of transplant rejection becomes possible before organ regeneration from stem cells becomes possible then every individual becomes a potential organ donor. Think war zones and third-world children with poor families. Actually, nobody would be safe.