In: Biology
Immunology subject
For the following three scenarios:
1) please rank their immunogenicity against the allo- or iso-grafts, i.e., the likelihood of the host to mount immune rejection against the graft.
2) What is the one major factor contributing to the good or poor immunogenicity in these scenarios and provide your explanation for each scenario?
3) What would you do to mitigate immunologically to improve the survival of these hosts?
A) A cancer patient with kidney malignancy
B) A host receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor
C) A Tasmanian devil bit by a devil carrying facial tumor cells
Please find the answers below:
Answer 1: The ranks can be found as below:
A) A cancer patient with kidney malignancy: Isograft, low immunogenicity
B) A host receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor: Allograft, high immunogenicity
C) A Tasmanian devil bit by a devil carrying facial tumor cells: Allograft, high immunogenicity
Answer 2: The contributing factors can be found as below:
A) A cancer patient with kidney malignancy : The host cells and the diseased cells are from same source sharing MHC compatibility, hence minimized immunogenicity
B) A host receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor: The host cells and the diseased cells are from entirely different sources sharing no MHC compatibility, hence maximized immunogenicity
C) A Tasmanian devil bit by a devil carrying facial tumor cells: The host cells and the diseased cells are from different sources of different species thus sharing absolutely no MHC compatibility, hence maximized immunogenicity
Answer 3: In order to mitigate these immunological problems and enhance survival of these hosts, routine use of immuno-suppressant drugs is highly recommended. This remains the only method to enhance the chances of acceptance of allografts in all recipients.