Novel Targets of Immunosuppression in Transplantation.

It is increasingly recognized that calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus are not ideal immunosuppressive agents. Side effects, including increased rates of infection, hypertension, and malignancy, can be severe. Thus, in the past decade, there has been much focus on the development of novel therapeutic agents and strategies designed to replace or minimize CNI exposure in transplant patients. This article reviews potential novel targets in T cells, alloantibody-producing B cells, plasma cells, and complement in transplantation.