Toxicology and Adverse Effects of Drugs Used for Immunosuppression in Organ Transplantation

Abstract

In the first half of the 20th century, attempts at organ transplantation were tried but proved unsuccessful without the conceptual understanding of rejection. As our understanding of the process of immune response expanded, attempts were made to control or modify the reaction to ensure graft survival. It seemed initially that there was an uncircumventable limitation to effective immunosuppression, in that it could not be achieved without inducing total immunodeficiency. Cyclosporine was the first drug used to produce immunosuppression without global immunodeficiency. Cyclosporine, however, was limited by excessive toxicity. Newer drugs, some undergoing clinical trials and others in the pipeline, hold the promise of exciting developments in the field of organ transplantation.