Composite Tissue Transplantation

The term ''composite tissue transplant'' was spawned by the observation that this particular branch of transplantation did not include one specific tissue or organ, but, a unique combination of tissues. For example, if one was to reconstruct a lost limb, this would include a ''composite'' of skin, muscle, bone, joint, nerve, blood vessels, and connective tissue. However, other repairs could involve simply two, three or four of the individual tissues or possibly even more. When one examines this broad group of ''composite'' tissues and their interactions, function may be difficult to define. Thus, there are several unique aspects to composite tissue transplantation that warrant very different approaches compared to organ transplantation. This book has been compiled to provide an overview of these important and related subjects. There has been an attempt to include the basic principles of immunosuppression and immunobiology as they relate to ongoing models of composite tissue transplantation; an historical perspective on the subject; and to examine some of the first clinical applications in this emerging arena. Additional questions that are addressed herein, include neuromuscular function, tolerance, potential for graft versus host disease, potential for bone marrow transplantation, muscle cell chimerism and many other subjects detailed by diverse group of laboratories and investigators.