Abstract
Transplantation tolerance in the recipients of allogeneic marrow grafts can evolve after the resolution of graft-versus-disease (GVHD) and is characterized by immunologic unreactivity of donor cells towards host but not third-party alloantigens. This state of specific immunologic unresponsiveness has been considered to be the result of a deletion or irreversible inactivation of specific clones of donor immunocompetent cells that were reactive against host alloantigens. This concept of 'clonal deletion' has been challenged, and there is mounting evidence that an active suppressor cell mechanism is responsible for induction and maintenance of transplantation tolerance. Moreover, the possibility has been raised that tolerance to self was not a result of a process of clonal selection or deletion but rather a suppressor cell mechanism as well. This article summarizes some of our studies that lend credence to the importance of suppressor cells in the mechanism of tolerance to self and non-self transplantation antigens.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 853-858 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Transplantation proceedings |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1983 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Transplantation