Abstract
One of the major goals of regenerative medicine is repair or replacement of diseased and damaged tissues by transfer of differentiated stem cells or stem cell-derived tissues. The possibility that these tissues will be destroyed by immunological rejection remains a challenge that can only be overcome through a better understanding of the nature and expression of potentially immunogenic molecules associated with cell replacement therapy and the mechanisms and pathways resulting in their immunologic rejection. This review draws on clinical experience of organ and tissue transplantation, and on transplantation immunology research to consider practical approaches for avoiding and overcoming the possibility of rejection of stem cell-derived tissues.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
This work is supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.