Disease treatment via developing non-syngeneic graft transplantation

Abstract

A method of providing a pancreatic, lymphoid/hematopietic or pulmonary organ and/or tissue function to a mammalian subject is provided. The method comprises transplanting into the subject a developing mammalian pancreatic, lymphoid/hematopietic or pulmonary organ/tissue graft, respectively, thereby generating a functional pancreatic, lymphoid/hematopietic or pulmonary organ and/or tissue, respectively, for providing the pancreatic, lymphoid/hematopietic or pulmonary organ and/or tissue function, respectively, to the subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of providing a pancreatic function to a subject in need thereof, the method comprising transplanting into the subject a human pancreatic vascularized organ/tissue graft, wherein said human pancreatic vascularized organ/tissue graft is at a developmental stage of about 14 to about 20 weeks of gestation, thereby generating a functional pancreatic organ/tissue for providing the pancreatic function to the subject. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pancreatic vascularized organ/tissue graft is non-syngeneic with the subject. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is human. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject has an abnormal activity of a biomolecule naturally produced by a mammalian pancreas. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject has an abnormal activity of a biomolecule naturally produced by a mammalian pancreatic islet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said biomolecule is insulin. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transiently administering to the subject at least one T-cell costimulation inhibitor and at least one CD40 ligand inhibitor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transplanting said graft into the subject is effected by transplanting said graft under at least one renal capsule of the subject. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said transplanting said graft into the subject is effected into a site selected from the group consisting of the portal vein, the liver, the pancreas, the testicular fat, the sub-cutis, the omentum, an intestinal loop and the intra-abdominal space. 
     
     
         10 . A method of generating pulmonary tissue in a mammalian subject in need thereof, the method comprising transplanting into the subject a developing mammalian pulmonary graft, wherein said pulmonary graft is at a developmental stage essentially corresponding to that of a porcine pulmonary organ/tissue at a gestational stage selected from a range of about 42 to about 80 days of gestation, thereby generating pulmonary tissue in the subject. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pulmonary graft is at a developmental stage essentially corresponding to that of a porcine pulmonary organ/tissue at a gestational stage selected from a range of about 56 to about 80 days of gestation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pulmonary graft is a human pulmonary graft. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said human pulmonary graft is at a developmental stage of about 14 to about 28 weeks of gestation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said human pulmonary graft is at a developmental stage of about 19 to about 28 weeks of gestation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pulmonary graft is non-syngeneic with the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the subject is human. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising transiently administering to the subject at least one T-cell costimulation inhibitor and at least one CD40 ligand inhibitor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the subject has a pulmonary disease. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said pulmonary disease is selected from the group consisting of cystic fibrosis, emphysema, asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said transplanting said graft into the subject is effected by transplanting said graft under at least one renal capsule of the subject.