Immunosupression

Immunosuppression is when the activation of the immune system is being prevented. Some parts of the immune system have immuno-suppressive effects on other parts of the immune system. Immunosuppression may be due to an adverse reaction to treatment of other conditions. Deliberately induced immunosuppression is usually done to: - prevent the body from rejecting an organ transplant - treating graft-versus-host disease after a bone marrow transplant - for the treatment of auto-immune diseases

If person is undergoing immunosuppression, or their immune system is weak they are said to be //immunocompromised//. When a person gets an organ transplant, the immune system will recognise it as foreign tissue and therefore attack it. This can result in the organ being destroyed and if not treated, it can lead to death.

Watch to find out how this occurs at a cellular level!

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Factors effecting immunogenicity  Autoimmune disorders : Ultraviolet radiation    Immunosuppression : Adjuvants Contributed by Sidharsha Naidoo