Tissue transplant

Tissue transplant, permanent transfer of tissue or organs from one part of a body to another. It may involve transplanting tissue, such as skin or bone, within the same body (autografts); or it might involve more than one body, as when one person donates an organ to another person (allografts). Autografts are usually successful because the body normally does not reject its own tissues. Allografts, however, are often unsuccessful because the transplant recipient may reject the donor's tissue or organ. To avoid such rejections, physicians try to match donors and recipients with compatible tissues. People who have a number of similar proteins (HLA antigens) in the cells of the tissues to be exchanged are more likely to achieve a successful tissue transplant. Because HLA antigens are inherited, siblings have a higher rate of tissue transplant success.