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Transplant rejection could be prevented with a new treatment strategy, according to from The University of Queensland.

The new approach removes the need for donor matching and the use of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent rejection, and could make stem cell treatment accessible to more patients.

researcher Dr Jatin Patel said researchers found immunosuppressant drugs had a negative impact on transplanted stem cells.

鈥淧atients receiving a donation of stem cells from an unrelated individual normally need to take medication to suppress their immune system to prevent rejection,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hen we injected stem cells to repair blood vessels, we noticed those cells were damaged by the immunosuppressant drugs.

鈥淭he stem cells did not work properly and the damaged blood vessels were not repaired.

鈥淲e found that without immunosuppression therapy, the delivered stem cells actually functioned better and may have a better likelihood of superior clinical outcomes for the patient.鈥�

UQDI dermatologist Associate Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani said the treatment could be used for patients with chronic wounds caused by diseases such as peripheral vascular disease and limb ischemia.

鈥淐hronically ill patients with extensive lower limb wounds due to poor blood flow are generally unable to undergo invasive surgical procedures and end up with amputation,鈥� Assoc Prof Khosrotehrani said.

鈥淥ur approach would reduce the burden of these chronic wounds by presenting an option for stem cell therapy without the worry of patients getting additional infections while taking immunosuppressive drugs.鈥�

Dr Patel said the new treatment strategy harnesses the cells鈥� existing features.

鈥淭he strategy worked by combining two types of stem cells, one of which had 鈥榠n-built鈥� immunosuppressant properties,鈥� he said.

鈥淲hen injected together, the stem cells survived and functioned without the need for immunosuppressant drugs.

鈥淥ur patented technology to isolate these two stem cell types gives us confidence that such therapy can be trialled in patients in the future.鈥�

The study has been published in .

Image caption: Stem cells (left) were used to create blood vessels (right).