Monday, Aug. 17, 1992

Et Cetera

The drugs used to keep patients from rejecting transplanted organs work by suppressing the immune system -- which in turn leaves the body open to infections and even cancer. But a recently developed technique targets only the new tissue. Creating a hybrid molecule out of a human protein and an antibody, scientists tricked mouse immune systems into accepting human pancreatic cells while rejecting other foreign tissue. If it works in people, transplants will become far safer.