Cancer immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer utilizing α-gal epitope/natural anti-Gal antibody reaction

Figure 3 Hyperacute rejection of α-gal^+/+ pig kidney xenografted into a baboon (1 d after kidney transplantation). The interaction of natural baboon anti-Gal antibody with millions of α-gal epitopes expressed on the pig cell surface causes strong xenograft rejection. The in vivo binding of anti-Gal antibody to α-gal epitopes on transplanted pig heart or kidney is the main cause of hyperacute rejection of such grafts in humans and Old World monkeys. The recent generation of α1, 3 GT knockout pigs that lack α-gal epitopes has resulted in the elimination of this immunological barrier.