Facilitating cells in tolerance induction for kidney transplantation

Establishment of durable hematopoietic macrochimerism under nonmyeloablative conditioning is achievable in mismatched recipients using facilitating cells and stem cells obtained from donor mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Persistently chimeric recipients developed donor-specific tolerance and were weaned off of immunosuppressive drugs over 12 months. They maintained stable renal function without development of acute or chronic GVHD.