During the last 70 years, transplantation has saved millions of lives around the globe thanks to the development of cutting-edge surgical techniques that can replace malfunctioning organs, tissues and cells. However, immune suppression is needed to prevent a recipient’s immune system from rejecting the donated tissue, and immune suppression comes with a host of serious potential side effects.
Jessica Weaver, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one of the seven Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is looking to change that.
Weaver and researchers in the Weaver Lab are focused on developing a unique way to make transplantation possible without suppressing the immune system — something that can ultimately reduce the risks associated with transplantation and potentially increase the longevity of transplant recipients’ new organs.