nonautologous

Nonautologous refers to tissues, cells, or organs that originate from a donor other than the recipient. This is in contrast to autologous material, which is obtained from the same individual. In practice, nonautologous sources include allogeneic transplants (donor and recipient are of the same species) and xenogeneic transplants (donor is a different species). Common examples include allograft bone or tendon, donor skin grafts, corneal grafts, and bone marrow or stem cell transplants from a donor.

Nonautologous procedures enable treatment when autologous material is unavailable or unsuitable, but they raise immunological and infectious risks. Rejection is a major concern in solid organ and tissue transplants; graft-versus-host disease is a specific risk in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Immunosuppressive therapy is often required to promote graft survival, with attendant side effects. Donor selection and matching, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility, are used to improve outcomes. Infectious disease screening and donor-recipient risk assessment are standard.

In regenerative medicine and dentistry, nonautologous grafts may be used as scaffolds from donor tissue or xenografts, but regulatory oversight ensures safety. Terminology: nonautologous is a descriptive term; many contexts distinguish allogeneic (same species) and xenogeneic (different species). See also Allograft, Xenograft, Autograft, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.