Tissue Science and Regenerative Medicine

Immunomodulation and Tissue Compatibility

Two key ideas in the fields of medicine and transplantation are immunomodulation and tissue compatibility. Let's examine each idea in detail:

Immunomodulation: The process of altering or controlling the immune system's activity is known as immunomodulation. Protecting the body from hazardous organisms including bacteria, viruses, and foreign objects is the job of the immune system. To accomplish particular therapeutic objectives, it could be required to either boost or decrease the immune response in certain medical circumstances.

 a. Immunosuppression, a type of immunomodulation, is the deliberate suppression of the immune system. To stop the recipient's immune system from fighting and rejecting the donated organ, it is frequently utilized in organ transplantation. To do this, immunosuppressant medications such corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors are taken.

b. Immunostimulation: In some circumstances, increasing the immune system's activity is necessary. Immunostimulants are substances that improve the body's defenses against illness or infection. Examples include immunocheckpoint inhibitors, which improve the body's natural defenses against cancer cells, and vaccinations, which encourage the immune system to develop antibodies against particular infections.

Histocompatibility, another name for tissue compatibility, describes how well the immune system of the recipient accepts a transplanted tissue or organ without rejecting it. The primary function of the immune system is to identify and destroy alien substances or cells, including transplanted tissues and organs. To avoid rejection and guarantee the long-term survival of the transplanted organ, tissue compatibility must be attained during organ transplantation.