Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026
Interrogating Individual Autoreactive Germinal Centers by Photoactivation in a Mixed Chimeric Model of Autoimmunity
Published on: April 11, 2019
Tolerance in mixed chimerism - a role for regulatory cells?
Josef Kurtz1, Thomas Wekerle, Megan Sykes
1Bone Marrow Transplantation Section, Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, MGH East, Bldg. 149-5102 13(th) Street, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
The establishment of mixed hematopoietic chimerism induces life-long donor-specific organ graft tolerance while obviating the need for chronic immunosuppression. Recent advances have dramatically reduced the conditioning toxicity required to achieve mixed chimerism. We argue that the achievement of high levels of donor chimerism ensures life-long deletion of donor-reactive T cells, precluding and obviating the need for regulatory mechanisms in the maintenance of tolerance. However, in situations where high levels of donor chimerism cannot be established or sustained, control of immune responsiveness can be achieved through additional mechanisms, including regulatory T cells.
The establishment of mixed hematopoietic chimerism induces life-long donor-specific organ graft tolerance while obviating the need for chronic immunosuppression. Recent advances have dramatically reduced the conditioning toxicity required to achieve mixed chimerism. We argue that the achievement of high levels of donor chimerism ensures life-long deletion of donor-reactive T cells, precluding and obviating the need for regulatory mechanisms in the maintenance of tolerance. However, in situations where high levels of donor chimerism cannot be established or sustained, control of immune responsiveness can be achieved through additional mechanisms, including regulatory T cells.
