Heliyon (Jul 2024)

The role and research progress of macrophages after heart transplantation

  • Yao Chen,
  • JianPeng Wang,
  • Cheng An,
  • ShanQing Bao,
  • ChengXin Zhang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 13
p. e33844

Abstract

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Since the 60s of the 20th century, heart transplantation has been the best treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. Due to the increasing number of patients, how to expand the number of donor organs and enhance immune compatibility has become an urgent problem to be solved at this stage. Although current immunosuppression is effective, its side effects are also quite obvious, such as opportunistic infections and malignant tumors. In this review, we focus on the important role in macrophages after heart transplantation and their potential targets for achieving allogeneic graft tolerance, in order to improve effective graft survival and reduce infection and the occurrence of malignant tumors.

Keywords