Am I being stupid? Transplant rejection solution.

[TVR1]

I may well be underthinking this but having read a few threads and looked at few articles, the biggest issue with transplants, even with a 'perfect match' will always be organ rejection.

So I thought differently. Why not make the recipients immune system match the donors? Sounds mad, yes,but in very simple terms, isn't that what happens with bone marrow transplants?

The recipient has their immune system completely destroyed by radio/chemotherapy allowing a 'blank sheet of paper' for the new stem cells to work.

Why not use the same process with transplants and rather than trying to adapt the recipient with immunosuppressive drugs for ever, use the organs, donor cells and immune system of the donee to 'convert' the recipient to the donor?

Obviously, wiping out someone's immune system is fairly risky but the donor probably isn't in a position to worry about things too much.

Obviously there a balance between a potentially life threatening procedure wiping out the immune system to be balanced against a drug free life with a transplant.

Or, is this a completely insane idea?

If not, I look forward to my Nobel Prize for Medicine. Call me Alexander Fleming!

[oddman]

The recipient's non donor tissue may be attacked by the new immune cells. A risk of bone marrow transplant.

see graft versus host disease

Also organ transplantation requires major cavity surgery - not the greatest thing to approach whilst totally immunocompromised

[TVR1]

oddman said:

The recipient's non donor tissue may be attacked by the new immune cells. A risk of bone marrow transplant.

see graft versus host disease

Also organ transplantation requires major cavity surgery - not the greatest thing to approach whilst totally
immunocompromised

Yes, looked at GVHD but it seems we can now switch off/ train T cells to ignore some foreign cells.

Inspired by the BBC Edge of life documentaries.

If the choice is certain death v having a go, a cheeky laparotomy doesn't seem so bad...

[oddman]

I think they'll probably work out how to make pig organs 'invisible', grow organs in vitro and use electromechanical replacements for hearts eyes etc. These will probably have more mileage than risky manipulation of recipient immune system

Usually there is no problem finding a recipient. There is a shortage of donor organs. Even the organs which don't find a UK/NHS recipient are not wasted as they may find an international recipient.

While we're at it if you haven't go to https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk Takes less than 5 minutes - let your family know.
Particularly important if you're from a minority ethnic group as serious shortage of donors.