Parameters involved and viability of immunosuppression on islet allotransplantation procedure in rodents Immunosupression and islet transplantation

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmunity and rejection after transplantation must still be overcome in the technical development of islet transplantation for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. It is therefore necessary to inhibit rejection of islet grafts while maintaining the graft’s ability to secrete insulin. Although the use of immunosuppressants reduces the acute rejection rate in transplant patients, long-term side effects must be prevented. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is to organize and analyze the parameters of immunosuppression involved in experimental attempts of allotransplantation in rodents. METHODOLOGY: This review was performed using the Pubmed database to search for published articles containing the keywords “rodent islet transplantation”. The inclusion criteria involved allotransplantation with rodents’ islets and the reference lists of the publications retrieved that were eligible. The exclusion criteria involved isotransplantation, autotransplantation, and xenotransplantation such as transplantation in other species. RESULTS: Twenty studies related to allotransplantation were selected for this systematic review based on immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: New immunosuppressive drugs increased the survival rates of allotransplantation in rodents by reducing the side effects. The advances in immunosuppression raise the possibility of overcoming autoimmunity and rejection after allotransplantation.