The cellular immune reaction to transplanted sensory ganglion

Abstract

A previous study indicated that neurons survive and function after homologous ganglion transplantation in vivo despite the presence of an apparent cellular immune reaction. The present investigation was undertaken to verify and to describe more fully this cellular immune reaction to transplanted sensory ganglia. Autologous or homologous rat and heterologous guinea pig nodose ganglia were transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye of host rats and examined 10–12, 23, or 33–35 days later. Neurons survived in all autologous transplants, and no cellular reaction occurred. A cellular reaction composed mainly of mononuclear cells was, however, found in homologous and heterologous transplants. Neurons were still present in 35-day homologous ganglion transplants, but all had disappeared by 23 days in heterologous transplants. The results indicate that homologous and heterologous nerve tissue is antigenic and evokes a cellular immune response similar to that of other foreign tissues. I conclude that neurons can survive this immune reaction, which raises the possibility that transplanted neurons may be able to survive and function for prolonged periods in man.