IMMUNITY PROBLEMS CAUSED BY GRAFTS IN THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Grafts are potential tools in the repair of traumatic or degenerative lesions of the central nervous system (CNS). Although long considered to be a privileged site for grafts, the CNS can nervertheless be the s eat of the phenomena of rejection. The authors describe the modalities of the immunity reaction involved in rejection with reference to the particularities of the CNS. Grafts of adult and foetal tissue are outl ined. Based on experimental and clinical results, the necessity to use immunosuppression during an intracerebral or medullar graft is discus sed. The principal agents allowing immunosuppression are described.