Molecular and cellular immune responses to viral infections in organ transplant recipients

Organ transplantation (OT) involves moving organs, tissues, or cellular material from a donor to a recipient to provide essential treatment for organ failure. Despite the high global numbers of transplants, including common procedures such as kidney, pancreas, liver, heart, lung, and intestine transplants, challenges remain, such as immune rejection that requires immunosuppressants and ongoing medical care. In OT, viral infections pose significant challenges because recipients' immune systems are compromised by immunosuppressive treatments, affecting patient outcomes and requiring careful monitoring and balanced immune management after transplantation. Managing viral infections in OT involves addressing immune dysregulation caused by prolonged immunosuppression, delayed recovery of virus-specific CD8+ T cell responses, and the crucial role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+ T cells) in controlling infections. This review aims to clarify mechanisms of the immune response in OT, molecular interactions, how viral recognition affects graft outcomes, the impact of immunosuppression, and the role of AI in diagnostics and predictive models for viral infections in organ transplant recipients. Viral infections continue to present major risks for transplant recipients despite immunosuppressive therapy, potentially leading to graft rejection. Monitoring these infections is vital because immune responses triggered by viral recognition via various immune cell receptors can contribute to rejection. Using AI models for diagnosis and implementing advanced preventive strategies, such as pretransplant screening and personalized medicine approaches, are essential steps to improve outcomes in organ transplant patients.