Transplants (medicine)

Transplantation transfers organs, tissues, or cells from a donor or one body site to another to replace or restore function. It can involve a person's own tissue or material from another person or species.

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Histocompatibility: The degree to which donor and recipient tissues share immune-recognition markers. Matching human leukocyte antigens can reduce immune attack on a donor organ.
Autotransplantation: Transfer of tissue from one site to another within the same person. It avoids donor-recipient genetic differences because the tissue comes from the recipient.
Kidney transplantation: Surgical placement of a donor kidney to provide renal function in a recipient. It is a treatment for kidney failure and often avoids long-term dialysis.
Organ allocation: The process of assigning donated organs to people awaiting transplantation. Allocation rules determine who receives scarce donor organs and when.
Mixed chimerism: A state in which one organism contains cell populations from genetically distinct individuals. Donor-derived immune cells may help induce tolerance to a transplanted organ.
Allograft: A transplant of tissue between genetically different individuals of the same species. Most donor-organ transplants between people are allografts.
Isograft: A transplant between genetically identical individuals of the same species. It differs from the usual human donor transplant by having near-identical tissue markers.
Liver transplantation: Replacement of a diseased liver with a donor liver or a portion of one. A partial liver graft can grow after transplantation.
Organ shortage: A gap between the number of organs available for transplantation and the number needed. Limited supply leaves many candidates waiting or unable to receive a transplant.
Transplant tolerance: Specific immune acceptance of a graft without ongoing immunosuppressive treatment. Achieving tolerance could reduce lifelong drug exposure and its complications.