Transplantation, the medical procedure of moving organs, cells, or tissue from one organism to another, is a sometimes life-saving measure with some primary diseases resulting in organ failure. In addition to surgical skills, preventing and suppressing rejection is critical.

Organ Transplantation
Since the first organ transplantation in 1954, a large number of organs have been transplanted every year. Kidney‘s make up the largest share of transplantations, followed by the liver, heart, lung and pancreas. Advancements in immunosuppressive therapies have significantly contributed to the increasing frequency and success rate of organ transplantations.
Immunosuppressive therapy aims to suppress the body’s normal rejection reaction to the transplant, allowing the transplanted organ to achieve full functionality. At the same time, there is a demand for therapies that are as selective as possible, i.e., that minimize interference with the natural defense mechanisms of an organism.


Stem Cell Transplantation
In blood marrow and stem cell transplantation, blood stem cells are transferred from a donor to a recipient. Blood stem cells are stem cells, which are found in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood. Stem cells are the starting point for the entire cell formation of the blood and the immune system. While bone marrow transplantation was originally only used for treatment of cancerous diseases, such as leukemia, it is now applied to successfully treat other immune mediated disease states. For many malignant and benign blood diseases, stem cell transplants are the only curative approach. With stem cell transplants, the transplanted blood stem cells can trigger rejection reactions against the recipient’s body. The aim of immunosuppressive therapy is to suppress these sometimes severe rejections.

Fresenius Biotech in Transplantation Medicine
Based on its longstanding experience in transplantation medicine, Fresenius Biotech is currently working towards expanding the potential of ATG-Fresenius® S, its well-established anti-T-lymphocyte globulin, to further application areas and patient groups. New application options for additional indications are being intensively researched in clinical studies. It is our goal to develop effective treatment options for diseases and disease stages that have not been sufficiently researched up to now.

Would you like further information? Please send us an e-mail, and we will be glad to individually answer your questions: answers@atg-fresenius.de