Background
Xenogeneic islet transplantation is an emerging therapeutic option for diabetic patients. However, immunological tolerance to xenogeneic islets remains a challenge.
Methods
The current study used a pig-to-mouse discordant xenogeneic islet transplant model to examine anti-donor xenogeneic immune responses during early and late rejection, and to determine experimental therapeutic interventions that promote durable pig islet xenograft survival.
Results
We found that during early acute rejection of pig islet xenografts, the rejecting hosts exhibited a heavy graft infiltration with B220+ B cells and a robust anti-pig antibody production. In addition, early donor-stimulated IL-17 production, but not IFN-γ production, dominated during early acute rejection. Recipient treatment with donor apoptotic 1-ethyl-3-(3′-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide-treated splenocytes (ECDI-SP) significantly inhibited anti-donor IL-17 response, and when combined with B cell depletion and a short course of rapamycin led to survival of pig islet xenografts beyond 100 days in ~65% recipients. Interestingly, treated recipients in this model experienced late rejection between 100 – 200 days posttransplant, which coincided with B cell reconstitution and an ensuing emergence of a robust anti-donor IFN-γ, but not IL-17, response.
Conclusions
These findings reveal that early and late rejection of pig islet xenografts may be dominated by different immune responses, and that maintenance of long-term xenogeneic tolerance will require strategies that target the temporal sequence of anti-xenogeneic immune responses.