The VISICORT project: Lessons learned from solid organ transplantation

The study aims to summarize the rationale and research strategies for the VISICORT project and compare and contrast research approaches to understanding adverse immune responses to corneal and solid organ allo‐transplants. Corneal allo‐transplantation development preceded solid organ transplantation, and its worldwide frequency continues to exceed that of commonly‐transplanted organs, including kidneys, hearts, livers, and lungs. Strikingly, the large amount of elegant pre‐clinical research into the immunological response to corneal allografts has not been complemented by extensive studies of adverse immune responses in human recipients. Finally, this study discusses the extent to which the fields of corneal and solid organ transplantation have engaged in the collaborative investigation prior to and during the VISICORT project and reflects on the potential for such cross‐discipline research to advance toward the shared goal of preventing harmful allo‐immune responses and promoting donor‐specific tolerance.