Allogreffe

Allogreffe (commonly referred to as an allograft) is a medical transplant of tissue or an organ from one individual to another of the same species, where the donor and recipient are not genetically identical. The core purpose is to replace or repair damaged or diseased body parts, providing essential functions that the recipient cannot perform.

Indications for allogreffe include organ failure (kidney, liver, heart, lungs), severe burn injuries requiring skin grafts, bone defects, and a variety of soft tissue replacements such as tendon or cartilage transplants. In organ transplantation, living donors (e.g., a kidney or a portion of a liver) and deceased donors are both used, with selection based on compatibility of blood type, tissue typing, and overall health.

The procedure involves careful donor tissue preservation through refrigeration or cryopreservation, and is followed by surgical implantation onto the recipient. Immunological matching is critical; human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing reduces the risk of rejection, but recipients routinely receive immunosuppressive medications such as tacrolimus or cyclosporine to maintain graft survival.

Complications can arise from acute or chronic rejection, infection, or complications related to immunosuppression. Long‑term outcomes depend on multiple factors, including graft type, donor-recipient matching, and adherence to medical care. Advances in molecular diagnostics, such as donor-specific antibody testing, have improved early detection of rejection, thereby extending graft longevity. The field of allogreffe continues to evolve with research into tolerance induction, xenotransplantation, and improved surgical techniques, aiming to increase transplant availability and outcomes worldwide.