Treatment with MSCs and transient immunosuppressive therapy prolongs hemi-facial allotransplant survival.

<p>Multiple MSC injections in the absence of immunosuppression (group II) produced a trend but not a statistically significant increase in allotransplant survival compared to controls. Allotransplants in group III animals, which received short-term CsA treatment, displayed delayed rejection and survival for 36–48 days post-transplant (p = 0.018). The combination of MSC injections with CsA treatment (group IV) significantly prolonged allotransplant survival compared to other groups (p<0.001). One swine was sacrificed (day 38 post-transplantation) due to severe infection, although the allotransplant was still viable. Another died incidentally during biopsy (day 71 post-transplantation).