Tolerance Induction in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation—A Brief Review of Preclinical Models

Pre-clinical studies are an obligatory tool to develop and translate novel therapeutic strategies into clinical practice. Acute and chronic rejection mediated by the recipient’s immune system remains an important limiting factor for the (long-term) survival of vascularized composite allografts (VCA). Furthermore, high intensity immunosuppressive (IS) protocols are needed to mitigate the immediate and long-term effects of rejection. These IS regiments can have significant side-effects such as predisposing transplant recipients to infections, organ dysfunction and malignancies. To overcome these problems, tolerance induction has been proposed as one strategy to reduce the intensity of IS protocols and to thereby mitigate long-term effects of allograft rejection. In this review article, we provide an overview about animal models and strategies that have been used to induce tolerance. The induction of donor-specific tolerance was achieved in preclinical animal models and clinical translation may help improve short and long-term outcomes in VCAs in the future.