Peri-transplant Interleukin-6 Receptor Blockade delays Acute Cellular Rejection and Significantly Prolongs Kidney Allograft Survival in Tacrolimus/CTLA4Ig-treated Nonhuman Primates

T cells. However, IL-6R blockade was associated with transient elevation of serum IL-6, and significantly higher serum soluble IL-6R levels after transplant (p<0.0001). Histopathological features of acute TCMR in kidney allografts were reduced in Tocilizumab-treated recipients. Overall, these observations indicate that peri-Tx therapeutic targeting of IL-6 can delay cellular rejection and prolongs kidney allograft survival in Tacrolimus/CTLA4Ig-treated recipient monkeys.