Thirty Years of Tacrolimus in Clinical Practice

Tacrolimus was discovered in 1984 and entered clinical use shortly thereafter, contributing to successful solid organ transplantation across the globe. In this review, we cover development of tacrolimus, its evolving clinical utility, and issues affecting its current usage. Since earliest use of this class of immunosuppressant, concerns for calcineurin-inhibitor toxicity have led to efforts to minimize or eliminate these agents in clinical regimens but with limited success. Current understanding of the role of tacrolimus focuses more on its efficacy in preventing graft rejection and graft loss. As we enter the fourth decade of tacrolimus use, newer studies utilizing novel combinations (as with the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, everolimus, and T-cell costimulation blockade with belatacept) offer potential for enhanced benefits.