Kidney transplant with marrow can guard against organ rejection.

Byline: Robyn Suriano

ORLANDO, Fla. _ Kidney transplant patients may have a better chance of avoiding organ rejection if they receive some of the donor's bone marrow along with the new kidney, according to doctors addressing a conference here.

For the first time, two people have been treated successfully with this approach, which includes a heavy course of anti-rejection drugs before the operation and a partial transplant of the donor's marrow at the time of surgery.

Bone marrow makes some of the cells in the body's immune system, which can attack the foreign organ and cause its failure. The thinking is that the donor's bone marrow teaches the …