About this Research Topic
Natural occurring antibodies directed at carbohydrate antigens, such as ABO blood group antigens, pose a significant barrier to solid organ transplantation because of their potential to cause hyperacute graft rejection. With the exception of a few expert transplant centres, that perform ABO-incompatible transplants, their presence has largely been viewed as contraindication to successful transplant thereby reducing the pool of eligible donors for these patients.
Analogous antibody responses to ABO blood group antigens, humans and related primates produce natural antibodies to the carbohydrate α-Gal (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) in response to normal bacterial flora. Since non-primate mammals express α-Gal modifications on glycans, natural anti-αGal antibodies are abundant in the serum and present a hurdle to xenotransplantation of organs from non-primate species (i.e.. pig) into humans. While predominantly IgM, a significant proportion of the antibody response is also in the form of IgG, which is generally viewed to be a clinically significant isotype in the transplant setting.
Given the long waitlists for the limited number of organs available and resulting deaths of thousands of patients each year that don’t receive a life-saving transplant in time recent groundbreaking surgeries have taken the next leap forward towards xenotransplantation and have paved the way to overcoming long-standing barriers posed by antibodies to carbohydrate antigens. The goal of this research topic is to tie together the seemingly disparate fields of ABO-incompatible allotransplantation and xenotransplantation and to focus on recent advancements in these areas aimed at broadening the utilization of potential donor sources. By providing insights into novel therapeutic approaches that could be used to induce tolerance or accommodation in patients that are producing them this research topic hopes to break the long-held skepticism on the feasibility of implementing non-conventional donor sources.
This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review and Mini-Review, , Hypothesis & Theory, Clinical Trial, Technology, Perspective, Case Report, Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary, Opinion. We welcome manuscripts focusing on, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Mechanisms of natural antibody production to carbohydrate antigens
• Implications of carbohydrate antigens in xenotransplantation
• Tolerance pathways and accommodation of antibodies to carbohydrates
• Novel strategies to reduce immunogenicity of carbohydrate antigens
• The current landscape of ABO-incompatible transplantation
The Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Analogous antibody responses to ABO blood group antigens, humans and related primates produce natural antibodies to the carbohydrate α-Gal (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) in response to normal bacterial flora. Since non-primate mammals express α-Gal modifications on glycans, natural anti-αGal antibodies are abundant in the serum and present a hurdle to xenotransplantation of organs from non-primate species (i.e.. pig) into humans. While predominantly IgM, a significant proportion of the antibody response is also in the form of IgG, which is generally viewed to be a clinically significant isotype in the transplant setting.
Given the long waitlists for the limited number of organs available and resulting deaths of thousands of patients each year that don’t receive a life-saving transplant in time recent groundbreaking surgeries have taken the next leap forward towards xenotransplantation and have paved the way to overcoming long-standing barriers posed by antibodies to carbohydrate antigens. The goal of this research topic is to tie together the seemingly disparate fields of ABO-incompatible allotransplantation and xenotransplantation and to focus on recent advancements in these areas aimed at broadening the utilization of potential donor sources. By providing insights into novel therapeutic approaches that could be used to induce tolerance or accommodation in patients that are producing them this research topic hopes to break the long-held skepticism on the feasibility of implementing non-conventional donor sources.
This Research Topic accepts Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review and Mini-Review, , Hypothesis & Theory, Clinical Trial, Technology, Perspective, Case Report, Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary, Opinion. We welcome manuscripts focusing on, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Mechanisms of natural antibody production to carbohydrate antigens
• Implications of carbohydrate antigens in xenotransplantation
• Tolerance pathways and accommodation of antibodies to carbohydrates
• Novel strategies to reduce immunogenicity of carbohydrate antigens
• The current landscape of ABO-incompatible transplantation
The Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: ABO incompatible transplant, xenotransplant, carbohydrate antigens, anti alpla-Gal
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