Mycophenolate Mofetil, a New Prospective Immunosuppressant

Overview

The mycophenolate mofetil, a prodrug of mycophenolic acid, is a new immunosuppressive drug witha specific mechanism of action consisting in the inhibition of T- and B-lymphocytes proliferation.A series of animal experiments showed efficiency of the mycophenolate mofetil administered inmonotherapy or in combination with other immunosuppressants to prolong the survival of differentallo- and xenotransplanted grafts. In clinical trials, the mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, andsteroids demonstrated high efficacy in the prevention of acute rejection in the solid allotransplantedorgans. The mycophenolate mofetil seems to be a suitable candidate for the treatment of many other,e.g. autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Key words:
mycophenolate mofetil – mycophenolic acid – transplantation – acute rejection –immunosuppression