Its Benefits and Problems Transplantation is the only treatment for failure of a liver, heart or lung. Transplantation is also the best long-term treatment for kidney failure.
Rejection is the major barrier to successful transplantation.
It is an immune process and is not adequately controlled by immunosuppressive drugs, resulting in sickness and sometimes loss of the transplanted organ. Rejection is due to differences between the organ donor and the recipient as transplants between identical twins are not rejected. Finding a way to prevent rejection which is more effective than immunosuppressive drugs is the main goal of transplantation research. Liver Transplants are Often Not Rejected In studies of animal transplants, a liver transplant is often not rejected. This is observed in all strains of mice examined, in many strains of rat, in many breeds of pigs and even in monkeys.