A heart transplant is a life-saving procedure for patients with end stage heart failure. During this invasive surgery, a patient’s diseased heart is removed and replaced with a donor heart. Even though patients are prescribed immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, up to 20% of patients will still experience acute cellular rejection, also called ACR, in the first year post-transplant. ACR happens when T-cells, which are part of the immune system, begin attacking the new heart, leading to poor outcomes and even death.
