Allotransplant (allo- meaning "other" in Greek) is the transplantation of cells, tissues, or organs to a recipient from a genetically non-identical donor of the same species. The transplant is called an allograft, allogeneic transplant, or homograft. Most human tissue and organ transplants are allografts.

It is contrasted with autotransplantation (from one part of the body to another in the same person), syngenic transplantation of isografts (grafts transplanted between two genetically identical individuals) and xenotransplantation (from other species).

Allografts can be referred to as "homostatic" if they are biologically inert when transplanted, such as bone and cartilage.

An immune response against an allograft or xenograft is termed rejection. An allogenic bone marrow transplant can result in an immune attack on the recipient, called graft-versus-host disease.

Procedure

Material is obtained from a donor who is a living person, or a deceased person's body receiving mechanical support or ventilation, or a deceased person's body whose heart stopped beating. Screening for pathology and risk factors for communicable diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C is then conducted.

See also

  • Allograft diseases
  • Medical grafting

References

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183943/http://www.aatb.org/files/safetyoftissuetransplants.pdf]
  • [https://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/tissueTransplantsFAQ.html#top]
  • Tissue & Tissue Products
  • OrganDonor.gov (How to register to be a donor in the USA)
  • Allogeneic stem cell transplantation entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
  • Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms