Open AccessThe Next Frontier in Composite Tissue Allotransplantation
Author(s) -
Ren Xiaoping,
Laugel Michael C.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cns neuroscience and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1755-5949
pISSN - 1755-5930
DOI - 10.1111/cns.12029
Subject(s) - frontier , field (mathematics) , medicine , immunosuppression , medical physics , traverse , allotransplantation , engineering ethics , transplantation , surgery , intensive care medicine , engineering , political science , geography , mathematics , geodesy , pure mathematics , law
Summary Solid organ transplantations became a clinical option in the 1950s. The hand allograft was the pioneer of composite tissue allotransplantation ( CTA ), successfully started near the end of the last century despite arguments over the practicality and methods. Since then, CTA such as hand and face has continued to progress from the theoretical to clinical reality. The treatment principles, drug combinations, and mechanisms of the immunosuppression medications on which contemporary transplant surgeries have been based continue to develop as researchers and physicians gain more experience in the CTA field. It could be argued that the ethical issues associated with CTA have prevented evolution of the field rather than surgical or technical skill. This is particularly true for allo‐head and body reconstruction ( AHBR ). How can leaders in the field of CTA develop a model that would satisfy ethical concerns? Bolstered by recent successes in the field, is it time to traverse the next frontier? Can AHBR ever be a feasible option in the clinical setting? The reader will be provided with a brief history of CTA from theory to research to clinical practice. A concise description of AHBR as it pertains to the critical procedure (i.e., surgery design) will also be discussed.