The Open Transplantation Journal

2008, 2 : 40-53
Published online 2008 September 2. DOI: 10.2174/1874418400802010040
Publisher ID: TOTRANSJ-2-40

The MHC-Based Suppression (MBS) Theory: Implications for Transplantation

Derek W.R. Gray
Nuffield Department of Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.

ABSTRACT

Complex areas of scientific endeavor may sometimes benefit from a theoretical and/or reductionist approach to guide the direction of future experiments, perhaps best illustrated by the field of cosmology. The field of immunology in general, and transplantation immunology in particular, is certainly complex. This commentary draws attention to a theory that proposes an alternative role for MHC molecules, placing them central to the process of tolerance induction, with major implications for transplantation and all fields of immunology.

Keywords:

Immune tolerance, MHC-based suppression, peptide/MHC complex.