Prevention of chronic allograft rejection by Vitamin D receptor agonists

Immunol Lett. 2005 Aug 15;100(1):34-41. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2005.06.017.

Abstract

While immunosuppressive drugs now permit a good control of acute allograft rejection, chronic rejection remains an important unmet medical problem. We propose that Vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonists, secosteroid hormones that control cell proliferation and differentiation and exert immunoregulatory activities, in addition to regulate calcium and bone metabolism, have the potential to contribute to the management of chronic allograft rejection. Recent advances in understanding the immunomodulatory and growth-regulating properties of VDR agonists indicate the clinical applicability of these hormones in transplantation, with the aim of facilitating tolerance induction and preventing chronic graft rejection.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Rejection / prevention & control*
  • Graft Survival / drug effects*
  • Graft Survival / immunology
  • Humans
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / agonists*
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / immunology
  • Secosteroids / therapeutic use*
  • Transplantation Tolerance / drug effects*
  • Transplantation Tolerance / immunology
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Receptors, Calcitriol
  • Secosteroids