Monitoring, preventing, and treating rejection of transplanted organs

A method for treating a patient with an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) having a pump coupled to an infusion outlet;
• implanting the at least one SCU in or near an allograft;
• containing as a substance in the at least one pump at least one of a drug used to promote angiogenesis, a gene that encodes a protein that leads to angiogenesis, and a gene product that leads to angiogenesis;
• providing operating power to the at least one SCU;
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one SCU;
• and
• delivering the substance via the at least one outlet to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one SCU in accordance with the stimulation parameters;
• wherein the at least one SCU has a size and shape suitable for placement entirely within the neoplasm and implantation via a cannula.

A method for treating a patient with an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) having a pump coupled to an infusion outlet;
• implanting the at least one SCU in or near an allograft;
• containing as a substance in the at least one pump at least one of a drug used to promote angiogenesis, a gene that encodes a protein that leads to angiogenesis, and a gene product that leads to angiogenesis;
• providing operating power to the at least one SCU;
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one SCU;
• and
• delivering the substance via the at least one outlet to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one SCU in accordance with the stimulation parameters;
• wherein the substance further comprises at least one of a corticosteroid, cyclosporine, FK506, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, daclizumab, basiliximab, nicotine receptor agonist, a gene that leads to suppression of allograft rejection, and a gene product that leads to suppression of allograft rejection.

A method for treating a patient with an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) having a pump coupled to an infusion outlet;
• implanting the at least one SCU in or near an allograft;
• containing as a substance in the at least one pump at least one of a drug used to promote angiogenesis, a gene that encodes a protein that leads to angiogenesis, and a gene product that leads to angiogenesis;
• providing operating power to the at least one SCU:
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one SCU;
• delivering the substance via the at least one outlet to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one SCU in accordance with the stimulation parameters;
• providing at least one sensor;
• using the at least one sensor to sense a physical condition;
• and
• adjusting the stimulation parameters based at least in part upon the sensed condition.

A method for treating a patient with an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) having a pump coupled to an infusion outlet;
• implanting the at least one SCU in or near an allograft,
• containing as a substance in the at least one pump at least one of a drug used to promote angiogenesis, a gene that encodes a protein that leads to angiogenesis, and a gene product that leads to angiogenesis,
• providing operating power to the at least one SCU,
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one SCU,
• delivering the substance via the at least one outlet to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one SCU in accordance with the stimulation parameters:
• and
• providing and implanting more than one SCU.

A method for treating a patient with an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one means for stimulating tissue;
• implanting the at least one stimulating means in or near an allograft;
• providing operating power to the at least one stimulating means;
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one stimulating means;
• and
• delivering stimulation to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one stimulating means according to the stimulation parameters,
• wherein the stimulation comprises both electrical stimulation and stimulation via at least one drug;
• and
• wherein the at least one stimulating means has a size and shape suitable for placement entirely within the allograft and for implantation via a cannula.

A method for treating a patient with an allograft comprising:

• providing at least one means for stimulating tissue;
• implanting the at least one stimulating means in or near an allograft;
• providing operating power to the at least one stimulating means;
• providing stimulation parameters to the at least one stimulating means;
• and
• delivering stimulation to allograft tissue adjacent to the at least one stimulating means according to the stimulation parameters;
• wherein the stimulation comprises both electrical stimulation and stimulation via at least one drug,
• wherein the at least one drug delivered to the allograft is at least one of a corticosteroid, cyclosporine. FK506, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, daclizumab, basiliximab, nicotine receptor agonist, a gene that leads to suppression of allograft rejection, and a gene product that leads to suppression of allograft rejection;
• and
• wherein the at least one drug further includes at least one of a medication used to promote angiogenesis or a gene that encodes a protein or other gene product that leads to angiogenesis.

A method for monitoring the health of an allograft prior to transplant, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) having at least two electrodes;
• placing the at least one SCU in or on an allograft prior to transplant;
• providing operating power to the at least one SCU:
• providing monitoring parameters to the at least one SCU;
• and
• measuring electrical impedance of allograft tissue adjacent to the at least two electrodes in accordance with the monitoring parameters;
• wherein the at least one SCU is placed entirely within the allograft.

A method for monitoring the health of an allograft, comprising:

• providing at least one system control unit (SCU) with sensing capabilities;
• implanting the at least one sensor SCU in or on an immune system organ;
• measuring the health of the allograft by sensing changes in the immune system organ;
• and
• communicating the sensed changes in the immune system organ.