One function of the immune system is to attack the foreign cells to protect the body. In organ transplants, the body recognizes that the new organ is made of foreign cells. What kind of medicine would you give a patient to increase the chances of transplant success?

The kind of medicine that is given to increase chances of transplant success is called anti-rejection medicine or immunosuppressant drugs. These are a class of drugs that reduce or suppress the strength of the body's immune system. Their primary function is to lower the body's ability to reject a transplanted organ such as liver, heart or kidney. By weakening the immune system, immunosuppressant drugs decrease the body's reaction to the foreign organ. The drugs allow the transplanted organ to remain healthy and free from damage.