Allograft rejection results from a failed attempt by the immune system to protect foreign tissue

The focus of our research is to understand the immune response to foreign t issue. We believe that a dichotomy exists within the immune response to an allograft such that part of the response is dedicated to the protection of the graft. Nevertheless, in a dominantly graft-aggressive environment, reje ction typically ensues. In this article, we describe models that have been set up to test directly the ability of potentially protective aspects of th e immune response to prevent allograft rejection. We discuss our data in th e context of a growing body of exciting and often controversial literature.