Human neural graft function in rats treated with anti-interleukin II receptor antibody

PROLONGED immunosuppression with cyclosporin A allows survival of human xenografts in the rat Parkinsonian model but the drug has side effects. Ideally immunosuppression should be of short duration, to minimize the chance of infection, yet be capable of supporting long term survival of the transplanted tissue. We report that short term treatment with an anti-rat interleukin II receptor (IL2R) monoclonal antibody (MAb) resulted in apparently permanent survival of human fetal dopaminergic grafts in “Parkinsonian” rats. The recipients remained healthy and the excellent survival of the transplants suggests that the antibody injection strategy would almost certainly abrogate allograft rejection and raises the possibility that xenogenic dopaminergic neurones could be used as donor tissue in humans.