Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Murine Full-thickness Skin Transplantation
07:59

Murine Full-thickness Skin Transplantation

Published on: January 2, 2017

[Rapamycin: a new immunosuppressive agent capable of inhibiting chronic rejection?]

O Viklický1, I Matl

  • 1Klinika nefrologie, Transplantcentrum, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha. ondrej.viklicky@medicon.cz

Casopis Lekaru Ceskych
|March 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Rapamycin and its derivative RAD are potent immunosuppressants that inhibit cell proliferation. Clinical trials are ongoing to determine if these drugs can prevent chronic rejection in transplant patients.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology and Pharmacology
  • Transplantation Medicine

Context:

  • Chronic rejection is the primary cause of long-term graft loss after transplantation.
  • Novel immunosuppressive drugs are needed to improve transplant outcomes.

Purpose:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of rapamycin (sirolimus) and its derivative RAD in preventing chronic rejection.
  • To assess the pharmacokinetic profile and immunosuppressive properties of rapamycin in clinical trials.

Summary:

  • Rapamycin and RAD are potent inhibitors of cell proliferation, showing promise in experimental models of chronic rejection.
  • Initial clinical trials confirmed rapamycin's pharmacokinetics and immunosuppressive effects, noting synergistic action with cyclosporin A.
  • Common side effects include dose-dependent thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and hyperlipidemia.

Impact:

  • Prospective, long-term clinical trials are essential to definitively answer whether rapamycin and RAD can prevent chronic rejection in humans.
  • Findings may lead to improved immunosuppressive strategies, reducing graft loss and enhancing patient survival.

More Related Videos

Retinal Pigment Epithelium Transplantation in a Non-human Primate Model for Degenerative Retinal Diseases11:20

Retinal Pigment Epithelium Transplantation in a Non-human Primate Model for Degenerative Retinal Diseases

Published on: June 14, 2021

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes11:34

A Simple and Efficient Method for Testing Immunomodulatory Agents for Generation of Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells from Human CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Concept Videos

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents01:29

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder marked by chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Various treatment strategies for Crohn's disease are employed, such as immunomodulatory agents, glucocorticoids, and biologics or anti-TNF therapy. Azathioprine (Imuran), a commonly used immunomodulatory drug for Crohn's disease, is converted in the body to mercaptopurine, which inhibits purine biosynthesis and cell proliferation. Both are utilized in severe cases of Inflammatory Bowel Disease...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...