Antibody immunosuppressive therapy in solid organ transplant: Part II.

The use of antibodies in transplantation dates to 1986 when muromonab CD3, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting CD3, was first approved for prevention and treatment of renal allograft rejection. These agents have largely been used in a brief adjunctive manner to provide immunosuppression during the initial period after solid organ transplantation or during an episode of acute rejection. Recent advances in our understanding of transplant immunology have allowed emergence of numerous new mAbs, targeting co-stimulatory signals, cell surface receptors and novel protein constructs. During the next decade, transplant professionals will increasingly require knowledge of the mechanisms and pharmacologic characteristics of these novel therapeutic agents.