The Use of Daclizumab and Anti-Thymocyte Globulin in Lung Transplantation

Acute and chronic allograft rejection are two of the common problems limiting and complicating the utility of lung transplantation. The timing and frequency of acute rejection has been shown to be a significant risk factor for the development of chronic allograft rejection. As an adjunct to standard triple immunosuppressive therapy, induction therapy is thought to decrease the incidence of acute rejection.Daclizumab is an interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2) antagonist which is FDA approved as an immunosuppressive agent. Thymoglobulin is an anti-lymphocyte immunosuppressive agent that has been shown in other solid organ transplant studies to be successful in delaying the first episode of rejection but has not decreased the incidence of Obliterative Bronchiloitis (chronic rejection)in lung transplantation.