Immunology of transplantation. Reproductive immunology
Transplantation immunology is getting increasingly important, from a clinical point of view, now involving cellular grafts (for example, blood transfusion and bone marrow grafts), as well as organ transplants (kidney, heart, liver, pancreas, lungs, cornea, skin, etc.). individual cellular antigens determining tissular compatibility or incompatibility ("histocompatibility") play an important role in immunobiology, as they participate in immune recognition and antigen presentation phenomena. The immunological barrier to transplantation is determined by genetic differences between donor and receiver. While this barrier may not exist when donor and receiver are the same individual (autograft) or individuals of identical genetic constitution (isograft), it may become quite important when the donor is a different individual from the same species (allograft) or from another species (xenograft). The immunological barrier is essentially due to histocompatibility antigens present on numerous cell membranes. These antigens are part of several systems, such as the ABO system and Rhesus system, better known from problems of compatibility in blood transfusion, and the HLA system ("Human Leukocyte Antigens"). The latter constitutes the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) in mammals and rodents.