Clinical transplantation is accepted and established therapy for a variety of chronic diseases. It is the sole life saving and enhancing option when all other treatment modalities have failed. Clinical solid organ transplants are currently performed of the kidney, heart, lung, small bowel, liver, and pancreas.
Although where possible, living donor transplants are becoming increasingly popular, the majority of transplants are still carried out using deceased donors.
Donor-recipient compatibility is mandatory for clinical transplants to be carried out safely, and with good outcomes. In the post-transplant period, unless the transplant donor is an identical twin, the recipient of the donated organ has to be treated with life long immunosuppression.
While this treatment is critical to the survival, and the optimal function of the donated organ, immunosuppression is not without it’s serious complications, including opportunistic infections, cancer, and death.
Transplant Shield aims to facilitate life saving transplants in an environment of “ immunocloaking”, where the immune system is not alerted to a transplant having taken place.
We envisage the creation of a biomaterial that can be used as a matrix for transplantation, the property of the matrix being immunocloaking the donated cells/organ from immune surveillance.
The net result of this venture will be the abrogation of immunosuppression, relieving the recipient of its deleterious side effects, and the healthcare system of the attendant costs involved.
Currently, the global market for immunosuppressive products is roughly 105 billion dollars.
The opportunity to use this technology to save hundreds of thousands of lives is very attractive.