The Immunobiology of Cell Transplantation

The potential for cell transplantation is enormous, not only in replacement therapy in conditions such as diabetes but also in approaches to gene therapy and the induction of tolerance to organ transplants. Immunobiological aspects of cell transplantation include: 1) isolation and purification of cells for transplantation, 2) preservation of cells, 3) technical problems of transplantation, 4) the immune response to cell transplants, 5) prevention of the immune response to cell allografts, 6) delivery and regulation of the product of the cell transplant, 7) xenotransplantation, 8) gene therapy. These aspects are briefly discussed.