ATC Abstracts

American Transplant Congress abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • 2022 American Transplant Congress
    • 2021 American Transplant Congress
    • 2020 American Transplant Congress
    • 2019 American Transplant Congress
    • 2018 American Transplant Congress
    • 2017 American Transplant Congress
    • 2016 American Transplant Congress
    • 2015 American Transplant Congress
    • 2013 American Transplant Congress
  • Keyword Index
  • Resources
    • 2021 Resources
    • 2016 Resources
      • 2016 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2016 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2015-2016
      • AST Board of Directors 2015-2016
    • 2015 Resources
      • 2015 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2015 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2014-2015
      • AST Board of Directors 2014-2015
      • 2015 Conference Schedule
  • Search

Chimeric Thymus Versus Antigen Presenting Thymus for the Induction of Tolerance: Donor DCs in Vascularized Thymus Grafts Play an Essential Role in the Induction of Tolerance

K. Yamada, M. Sekijima, A. Kawai, T. Tanabe, M. Tasaki, V. Villani, I. Hanekamp, A. Shimizu, D. Sachs.

Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Meeting: 2015 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: 421

Keywords: Kidney transplantation, Miniature pigs, Thymic tolerance, Thymus transplantation

Session Information

Session Name: Concurrent Session: Transplant Tolerance: Animal Models II

Session Type: Concurrent Session

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Session Time: 2:15pm-3:45pm

 Presentation Time: 2:39pm-2:51pm

Location: Room 118-C

We have demonstrated that thymus plays an important role in transplantation tolerance in MHC inbred large animals. We have established a technique of isolated vascularized thymic lobe transplantation (VTL) that allows us to study thymic dependent tolerance without changes in thymic structure due to ischemia following thymic transplantation. Utilizing this technique, we have reported VTL-induced transplant tolerance across allogeneic barriers in miniature swine. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of thymic dependent tolerance utilizing the VTL technique.

MATERIALS and METHODS: MGH MHC-inbred swine were used and allogeneic tolerance was assessed across a class I mismatched barrier using (1) donor-antigen presenting thymii (Donor Ag-VTL) and (2) donor thymic dendritic cells presenting thymii (Donor DC-VTL). Donor Ag-VTL were prepared by exposure to donor antigens in long-term tolerant recipients of class I mismatched kidneys. Donor DC-VTL were prepared by tolerizing recipients to a class I-mismatched thymic graft and then transferring the graft to a thymus-matched recipient, such that the allo VTL contained donor DCs at the corticomedular junction but all of the epithelial cells were recipient-type. Donor Ag-VTLs (Group 1. n=3) or Donor DC-VTLs (Group 2. n=3) were transplanted across class I mismatched barriers with 28 days of FK506; donor type kidneys were transplanted 3 months later without immunosuppression to test for tolerance.

RESULTS: All six recipients in both Groups 1 and 2 showed donor-specific unresponsiveness by in vitro CML assay. However, a striking difference was seen following donor-type kidney transplantation without immunosuppression. All recipients of Donor Ag-VTLs rejected donor MHC matched kidneys at day 7, 8 or 9. In contrast, no graft loss was observed in the recipients of donor DC-VTLs (>200, >70 and >19 days as of the time of this writing). In addition, the results of CD25 depleted CML assays suggested that CD8 T cells were deleted by donor thymic DCs.

CONCLUSIONS: The presence of donor DCs likely plays an essential role in the induction of tolerance in this model. To our knowledge, this is the first report to indicate that donor DCs induced tolerance of kidneys without immunosuppression in a large animal.

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Yamada K, Sekijima M, Kawai A, Tanabe T, Tasaki M, Villani V, Hanekamp I, Shimizu A, Sachs D. Chimeric Thymus Versus Antigen Presenting Thymus for the Induction of Tolerance: Donor DCs in Vascularized Thymus Grafts Play an Essential Role in the Induction of Tolerance [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2015; 15 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/chimeric-thymus-versus-antigen-presenting-thymus-for-the-induction-of-tolerance-donor-dcs-in-vascularized-thymus-grafts-play-an-essential-role-in-the-induction-of-tolerance/. Accessed June 7, 2025.

« Back to 2015 American Transplant Congress

Visit Our Partner Sites

American Transplant Congress (ATC)

Visit the official site for the American Transplant Congress »

American Journal of Transplantation

The official publication for the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) »

American Society of Transplantation (AST)

An organization of more than 3000 professionals dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation. »

American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)

The society represents approximately 1,800 professionals dedicated to excellence in transplantation surgery. »

Copyright © 2013-2025 by American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Cookie Preferences