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Main focus of the new book will be the description and discussion of rat and mouse models for organ transplantation. Various microsurgical techniques will be presented which allow transplantation of functional organs in syngeneic systems. In particular, the extremely difficult methods necessary for organ transplantation in mice will be presented and evaluated. Besides these practical aspects the book will also cover the theoretical sides of organ transplantation like the immunobiology of allotransplantation. Special emphasis will be given to the resurgent field of xenotransplantation. The results from xenograft models developed in the recent years using rats or mice will be reviewed and their impact on future human xenotransplantation will be discussed.

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´History and Development of Experimental Microsurgery.- Organ Transplantation in Mice: Current Status and Future Prospects.- Experimental Microsurgery as an Educational Concept and Scientific Basis for a Research Group: Principles of the Technical Development of Animal Models in Transplantation Research.- Basic Requirements for Research with Small Rodents.- Guidelines for the Use and Care of Small Laboratory Animals in Transplantation Research.- Technical Aids and Training Program for Microsurgery.- Statistical Methods in Small Animal Experimentation.- In Vitro Analysis of Transplantation Experiments in Small Animals: Personal Experience and Practical Aspects.- Basic Microsurgical Techniques for Rat Organ Transplantation.- Microsurgical Techniques for Vascular Anastomoses: Suture and Cuff Technique.- Heart Transplantation.- Techniques of Skin, Renal, and Vascular Transplantation in the Rat.- Microsurgical Techniques for Small Bowel Transplantation in Rats.- Technique of Rat Islet Transplantation.- Pancreas Transplantation in Rats.- Combined Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation.- Liver Transplantation.- Lung and Thoracic Heart-Lung Transplantation.- Combined Abdominal Organ Transplantation.- Basic Microsurgical Techniques for Mouse Organ Transplantation....- Surgical Technique for Skin Transplantation in Mice.- Surgical Technique for Vascularized Ear Transplantation in Mice.- A Microsurgical Technique for Orthotopic Aorta Transplantation in Mice.- Pancreatic Islet and Proislet Transplantation in the Mouse Model.- Vascular Thymus Transplantation in Mice.- Surgical Techniques for Mouse Heart Transplantation.- Microsurgical Techniques for Kidney Transplantation in Mice.- Microsurgical Techniques for Small Bowel Transplantation in Mice.- Surgical Techniques for Orthotopic Liver Transplantation in Mice.- Immunological Concepts and Techniques.- Concepts and Mechanisms of Immune Activation, Graft Rejection, Immunosuppression, and Tolerance.- Immunogenetic Basis of Organ Graft Rejection in Rat and Mouse.- Oral Feeding and Intrathymic Injection of MHC Class I-derived Allopeptides Prolong Graft Survival.- Microchimerism in Organ Transplantation.- Gene Transfer and Tolerance Induction.- Lessons from Knockout and Transgenic Mice.- Immunological Methods in Small Animal Research.- Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology.- Vascular and Cardiac Transplantation in Rats.- Venovenous Allotransplantation in the Rat.- Segmental Femoral Artery Allografts: Histomorphological Analysis of the Rejection Response in Inbred Rat Strains.- Chronic Rejection of Vascularized Organ Grafts in Rodent Models.- Immunosuppression in Experimental Heart Transplantation.- The Use of Rat Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Models to Characterize the Immunosuppressive Activities of Leflunomide.- Lymphatic Reconstruction after Intestinal Transplantation in Rats.- Small Bowel Transplantation.- Immunological Phenomenon after Small Bowel Transplantation.- Mucosal Immunology of the Small Bowel.- Function Studies After Small Bowel Transplantation in the Rat.- Methods and Effects of Immunosuppression After Small Bowel Transplantation in the Rat.- Macrophage Depletion in Small Animal Transplant Models.- Combined Liver and Small Bowel Transplantation - The Tolerogenic Effect on the Liver.- Pancreas and Islet Transplantation in Rats.- Immunological Basis of Pancreas Transplantation - Experimental Studies in the Rat.- Immunosuppression After Pancreas Transplantation.- Graft-Versus-Host Reaction After Pancreas Transplantation in the Rat.- Management of Exocrine Secretion in Experimental Pancreas Transplantation in Rats.- Results After Islet Transplantation in Rats.- Alginate-Encapsulated Islets in Rats.- Liver Transplantation in Rats.- Orthotopic Liver Transplantation in the Rat: Survival Relationship Between Different Strain Combinations.- Selective Immunosuppression After Orthotopic Ra

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