Alpha1-Antitrypsin monotherapy induces immune tolerance during islet allograft transplantation in mice.

ABSTRACT: Human pancreatic islet transplantation offers diabetic patients tight glucose control but has low graft survival rates. The immunosuppressive drugs that are administered to graft recipients lack the antiinflammatory benefits of corticosteroids because of their diabetogenic effects. The serum protease inhibitor alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) possesses antiinflammatory properties and reduces cytokine-mediated islet damage. In the present study, diabetic mice were grafted with allogeneic islets and treated with AAT monotherapy (n = 24). After 14 days of treatment, mice remained normoglycemic and islet allografts were functional for up to 120 treatment-free days. After graft removal and retransplantation, mice accepted same-strain islets but rejected third-strain islets, thus confirming that specifi

SUBMITTER: Lewis EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2566995 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature