Living-Related Donor Bone Marrow Immunoregulation in Kidney Transplants

Diabetes and end-stage kidney, liver and heart disease are prominent health issues among veteran patients. Successful solid organ transplantation in the absence of chronic immunosuppressive therapy (specific acquired immunological tolerance) is a desirable therapeutic option. This project extends recent observations supporting the use of concommitant donor bone marrow cell infusion as a means of modulating the immune response in kidney transplantation, thereby allowing a substantial decrease or withdrawal of potentially toxic immunosuppressive drugs.