Hanyang Medical Reviews  2006;26(3):48-53

Innate Immunity and Organ Transplantation.

Chul Woo YANG 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Innate immunity; Transplantation; Danger signal; Rejection

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

The immune response of transplanted grafts has been considered to be within the realm of the adaptive immune system. Recently, with the discovery of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), the role of innate immune responses in the control of adaptive immunity has become a new area of interest. Emerging evidence suggests that in addition to responding to pathogen-associated molecular patterns of microorganisms, TLRs can be activated by endogenous ligands, expressed by mammalian cells. These 'danger signals' may participate in ischemia-reperfusion related organ damage and the toxicity of immunosuppressant subsequently influence the function and survival of transplanted grafts. Furthermore, it has been suggested that adaptive immune responses can enhance the acute inflammatory responses controlled by innate immunity in organ transplantation. This review addresses the potential role of innate immunity in organ transplantation.