Science / Medicine : Drug May Aid Transplant Patients

Experiments in monkeys suggest that a recently discovered immunosuppressant drug called rapamycin can be used in conjunction with cyclosporine--the immunosuppressant now most commonly used in transplants--to prolong the survival of transplants and reduce the risk of side effects, Stanford University researchers said last week.

The use of cyclosporine has revolutionized transplants by preventing rejection while allowing the body to fight off many infections. But long use damages the kidneys of the recipient.

Stanford immunologist Randall Morris told a Chicago meeting of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons that treating the monkeys with rapamycin in addition to cyclosporine allowed the dose of cyclosporine to be reduced--thereby reducing the risk of side effects--and allowed transplants to survive longer than they did with either drug administered alone.

Morris said he hopes to begin tests in humans as soon as permission is obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.