The role of irradiation in solid organ transplantation

Abstract

The transplantation of heart, kidney, liver, lung, small bowel, and pancreas within and between mammalian species is a challenging and exciting branch of clinical and laboratory medicine. There have been attempts to use ionizing radiation as one of the means of immunosuppression throughout the history of solid organ transplantation. Whole body irradiation, extracorporeal irradiation of blood, intracorporeal irradiation of blood, selective lymphatic instillation of radioisotopes, and local allograft irradiation have been investigated. Total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) is currently the focus of considerable activity in the field of transplantation. In this paper we shall review the general history of radiation in solid organ transplantation. We will then review the emerging role of TLI as an immunosuppressive agent for allotransplantation and xenotransplantation.