Trial Suggests Liver Transplants Could Free Recipients From Lifelong Immunosuppressants
A small University of Pittsburgh study tested donor-derived regulatory dendritic cell therapy to train recipients’ immune systems to accept a transplanted liver. Among 13 living-donor liver recipients, cells were given before transplant and patients remained on standard immunosuppressants for a year; eight were weaned off, with four stopping entirely and three staying drug-free for about three years on average. The trial raised the drug-free success rate to 37.5% from the typical 13–16%, but researchers caution that results are early and require larger, comparative studies to confirm effectiveness and optimize treatment.
