Cytotoxic drugs cause immunosuppression by killing dividing cells and have serious side-effects. Mycophenolate mofetil is a cytotoxic drug that is commonly used in patients receiving kidney...

Cytotoxic drugs cause immunosuppression by killing dividing cells and have serious side-effects.  Mycophenolate mofetil is a cytotoxic drug that is commonly used in patients receiving kidney transplants, as part of a combination therapy with other immunosuppressive drugs. Studies have been performed to assess whether reductions in mycophenolate mofetil dose given to transplant patients starting around 4 months post-transplant have deleterious effects on the transplanted kidney function or on episodes of graft rejection. The motivation for this type of study is:

1. The high expense of combination therapies that require multiple different drugs


2. The side effects of the cytotoxic drug on healthy dividing cells in the body


3. The convenience to the transplant patient of fewer medications to take on a daily basis


4. The off-target effects of mycophenolate mofetil on non-dividing cells

     5. The possibility that transplant patients develop an allergic reaction to the mycophenolate