Safety and Efficacy Study of Rituximab in Renal Transplantation

Current strategies for the medical management of transplant patients are largely focused on the prevention and treatment of T-lymphocyte mediated processes. However there is an increasing evidence to suggest that B-lymphocytes have a role in the otherwise classic T-cell mediated rejection of transplants by there ability to act as antigen presenting cells and T-cell activators. Thus there is a significant medical need for effective therapies targeting B cells of transplant patients.One such potential therapy would be to use rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against B-cells in all renal transplant patients. In the present study the efficacy and safety of prophylactic rituximab is studied.