Translational Insights on Lung Transplantation: Learning from Immunology

Abstract

The introduction of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) in the practice of lung transplantation has allowed the reconditioning of the marginal grafts and their conversion into transplantable grafts. In addition, EVLP can provide a platform for the application of various preventive measures to decrease the incidence of post-transplant complications. While the Toronto team targets the attenuation of the cytokine production within the graft through gene therapy to up-regulate IL-10, other measures could be applied to achieve significant attenuation of the cytokine load of the graft. This manuscript provides a short overview on the importance of the attenuation of the cytokine production within the transplanted lung grafts and some possible strategies to achieve this goal.