organ transplantation

Examples of organ transplantation in the following topics:

• Organ Transplants

  • Organ transplantation involves moving organs between bodies (or from donor sites on patients' bodies) for the purpose of replacing recipients' damaged or absent organs.
  • Tissue transplants occur much more frequently than organ transplants.
  • Transplantation raises a number of bioethical issues, including the definition of death, when and how consent should be given for organ transplantation, and the possibility of payment for transplantation organs.
  • Some organs, such as the brain, cannot yet be transplanted in humans.
  • Organ transplants are not regulated by the FDA.

• Kidney Transplant

  • Kidney transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease.
  • Sometimes, people wait only a few days or weeks before receiving a donor organ.
  • Kidney transplantation, or renal transplantation, is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease.
  • Kidney transplantation is typically classified as either deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or living-donor transplantation, depending on the source of the donor organ.
  • The major barrier to organ transplants between genetically non-identical patients lay in the recipient's immune system, which would treat a transplanted kidney as a "non-self" and immediately or chronically reject it.

• Major Histocompatibility Complex Antigens (Self-Antigens)

  • MHC determines compatibility of donors for organ transplant as well as one's susceptibility to an autoimmune disease via crossreacting immunization.
  • Organ transplantation is a complex procedure that can potentially cure many chronic diseases or damaged conditions.
  • In nearly all cases, immunosuppressive chemotherapy is a requirement for successful organ transplantation.
  • These drugs are effective at stopping acute organ rejection after the procedure, but will not stop chronic organ rejection, in which gradual vascular lesions and endothelial thickening slowly kills the graft.
  • Additionally, if an organ donor has HLA similar to that of the recipient, the risk of organ rejection is reduced, however this isn't feasible for organ transplants of the heart, liver, or lungs, because there generally isn't enough time to find a matching organ donor to help a patient with diseases of these illnesses.

• Immunodeficiencies

  • As an anti-rejection protocol, transplant patients take medications to suppress their immune system, as do some patients suffering from an over-active immune system.
  • The treatment of primary immunodeficiencies depends on the nature of the defect, and may involve antibody infusions, long-term antibiotics, and (in some cases) stem cell transplantation.
  • Secondary immunodeficiencies, also known as acquired immunodeficiencies, can result from various immunosuppressive agents, for example, malnutrition, aging, and particular medications (e.g. chemotherapy, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplants, and glucocorticoids).

• Graft Rejection and Tissue Typing

  • Transplant or graft rejection occurs when a transplanted tissue is rejected by the recipient's immune system.
  • Transplant (or graft) rejection occurs when transplanted tissue is rejected by the recipient's immune system, which destroys the transplanted tissue.
  • Transplant rejection can also be limited by the use of immunosuppressant drugs after the transplant.
  • Very high magnification micrograph of a Masson body seen in lung transplant rejection.
  • Describe the role of tissue typing and graft rejection in transplantation

• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

  • Pancreatic transplants have been used.
  • Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is experimental, though growing.
  • High blood sugar may lead to increased fatigue and can also result in long-term damage to organs.
  • Experimental replacement of beta cells (by transplant or from stem cells) is being investigated in several research programs.
  • Islet cell transplantation is less invasive than a pancreas transplant, which is currently the most commonly-used approach in humans.

• Leukemia

  • Children with acute leukemia may be candidates for bone marrow transplants.
  • She later provided bone marrow for a transplant for her older sister.
  • The transplant was a success.
  • Immediate treatment is required in acute leukemia due to the rapid progression and accumulation of the malignant cells, which then spill over into the bloodstream and spread to other organs of the body.
  • In some cases, a bone marrow transplant is useful.

• Cystic Fibrosis

  • Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder leading to respiratory congestion, multiple organ failure, and metabolic changes.
  • Ultimately, lung transplantation is often necessary as CF worsens.
  • Bi-lateral lung transplantation often becomes necessary for individuals with cystic fibrosis as lung function and exercise tolerance declines.

• Metastasis Through Lymphatic Vessels

  • Metastasis is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or area of the body.
  • Transplantation or implantation: Mechanical carriage of fragments of tumor cells by surgical instruments during operation or the use of needles during diagnostic procedures.

• Heart Failure

  • Heart failure is defined as the inability of the heart to supply blood to the organs of the body.
  • Sometimes it is treated with implanted devices (pacemakers or ventricular assist devices) and occasionally a heart transplant.