Immunologic aspects and rejection in solid organ versus reconstructive transplantation

The immunosuppressive medications developed over the past 3 decades have paved the way for solid organ transplantation to become the treatment of choice for end-stage organ failure. At the end of the century, composite tissue transplantation in humans was performed with success using the same immunosuppressive medications and therapeutic principles. A decade later, experience from >100 cases of reconstructive transplantation have increased the knowledge, changed the view, and affected the therapeutic principles in this novel field. We herein portray the evolution of this novel type of transplant with particular reference to immunologic aspects, particularly differences between reconstructive and solid organ transplantation.