Acute cellular xenograft rejection

Abstract: The acute cellular rejection process after xenotransplantation of vascularized organs, i.e. heart, kidney and liver, has so far been difficult to study since the implanted organs are lost in a hyperacute rejection before cellular rejection develops. Primarily non-vascularized xenografts-e.g. pancreatic islets-escape the hyperacute rejection, but succumb to cell-mediated rejection during the first week after transplantation in either mice, rats or cynomolugus monkeys. The present view on the mechanisms orchestrating islet xenograft rejection in these animal models will be summarized and in part generalized to give insight into the process of acute cellular xenograft rejection.