Thymoglobulin and regulatory T cells in organ and hematopoietic cell transplantation

The induction of tolerance in transplantation has been a topic of intensive interest for several years. Recent explorations have focused on two types of naturally occurring T cells with suppressive and regulatory functions-CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and CID 161+CD3+V alpha 24+ natural killer T cells. This review will summarize the effects of Thymoglobulin on these two regulatory cell types, as well as the evidence suggesting that Thymoglobulin (Genzyme Transplant, Cambridge, MA) contributes to transplantation tolerance and graft-versus-host disease reduction through modification of host T-cell subsets to favor regulatory T cells.