An
integrated approach to studying transplant rejection
PI: J.
Arciero (Department of Mathematical Sciences, IUPUI) , G. Raimondi
(Consultant, University of Pittsburgh)
Organ transplantation is a life-saving surgical procedure
through which the functionality of an organ system can be restored. The
primary challenge accompanying organ transplantation is the response by
the recipient’s immune system. The immune system recognizes the
transplanted tissue as a foreign material and mounts a massive immune
response that destroys the transplant. Thus, there is currently a great
medical need to predict the conditions that lead to transplant
rejection and to determine treatments that could induce tolerance of
the immune response to the transplant while preserving the immune
system’s functionality.
To date, systems-based mathematical
modeling has not been applied to transplant rejection, although several
mathematical models have been developed for the immune response to
infections. The integrated approach of the proposed project applies
mathematical modeling techniques based on experimental observations and
measurements in pancreatic islet cells to predict how alterations in
the immune response influence the rejection of an organ transplant. In
particular, the mathematical model is used to assess the effectiveness
of three different methods that help to suppress the immune response
triggered by an organ transplant. By identifying the most successful of
the three methods to limit the inflammatory response to the transplant,
this study provides a first step in predicting treatments that would
induce tolerance of the immune response to the transplant while
preserving the immune system’s overall capacity to fight against
legitimate pathogens.
