MDSCs-mediated immune suppression in solid organ transplantation
One of the major obstacles of organ transplantation is allograft rejection by the recipient’s immune system. The use of immunosuppressive medications has reduced the incidence of acute rejection, however rejection still occurs in some patients, and chronic immune suppression also has significant side effects which could be minimized by reducing administered doses.
MDSCs are "rising stars" in transplant immunology and were recently shown to be master regulators of immune tolerance in solid organ transplant patients.
We are interested in uncovering the molecular mechanisms by which MDSCs regulate transplant tolerance, in order to establish them as potential biomarkers for early detection of acute organ rejection, as well as for the degree of inherent immune tolerance of each patient, with the aim of developing personalized immune suppression regimes which would allow reduced medication doses. Additionally, understanding MDSCs unique abilities may allow harnessing them for the development of tolerance enhancing therapies.
