Calcineurin Inhibitor Sparing After Kidney Transplantation

Reducing drug side effects is a key issue in transplantation. One class of drugs commonly used, calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), is associated with negative side effects, namely, toxicity to the transplanted kidney. In some patients, this toxicity is thought to be associated with loss of transplant function in those who have had their transplants for many years. The introduction of new immunosuppression medications however, has provided the opportunity to minimize or avoid CNIs, which may reduce the occurrence of toxicity to the kidney.