Breaking tolerance to solid organ allografts via allorecognition of donor class I major histocompatibility complex peptides

Abstract

We have previously demonstrated that immunizing MHC inbred miniature swine with synthetic polymorphic peptides spanning the α1 domain of an allogeneic donor-derived swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) class I gene leads to the accelerated acute and chronic rejection of class I disparate hearts. We have also established that miniature swine cotransplanted with class I disparate hearts and kidneys under a short course of cyclosporine develop rapid and stable tolerance to the donor consistently. Here, we examine whether immunizing recipients with donor class I peptides in either the induction or maintenance phase of tolerance can break tolerance.