When there is no need for immunosupresives: Combined Bone Marrow and Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

The holy grail of transplantation is the induction of donor-specific tolerance. In that possible scenario, there is no need for immunosuppressive therapy anymore. The main goal of this approach is to improve allograft survival by avoiding side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. There are promising reports about patients whose allograft kidney function remains stable after they have undergone bone marrow transplantation. The main obstacle in the last years was too aggressive therapy and procedures that were undertaken before bone marrow transplantation. There is high potential of this approach as well as dangers but due to progress in science, it is reasonable to believe that combined transplantation could be used more in the future.