New approaches in the use of cyclosporine: with particular reference to the liver.

Liver transplantation in the highly practical form that exists today has been made possible by multiple agent immunosuppression of which the most important component is CsA. Present day practices of immunosuppression are certain to be changed and probably in the near future in order to increase the effectiveness of therapy and to reduce the nephrotoxicity and other side-effects that until now have inhibited further applications. The introduction of new drugs such as FK 506, some of which are clearly synergistic with CsA, could ameliorate past problems with drug toxicity. With such improvements, and possibly even with more clever use of therapy that already is available, wider and more complex use of liver transplantation will be possible.