Why do organ recipients need to be a match but have to take anti rejection meds for the rest of their lives?
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When someone gets an organ transplant, like a new kidney, their body will eventually see it as an invader and attack it. To avoid this, doctors look for a “match” which means finding an organ that is similar enough to the patient’s own organs, so the body is less likely to attack it. This is like finding a piece from some else’s puzzle that fits well, but not perfectly, in your puzzle—and your immune system can see the difference. Even when doctors find a good match, there’s still a chance the body might try to aggressively reject the new organ. So, patients have to take drugs like immunosuppressants and steroids for their whole lives, or until the immune system finally “catches on.” These drugs calm down the body’s defenses so it doesn’t fight the new organ so hard.
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