A liver transplant can be life changing - it offers the prospect of a more normal way of living. However, people who receive a liver transplant need to take a combination of immunosuppressant drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the organ – usually for the rest of their lives. Immunosuppressant drugs are effective, but they work by ‘damping down’ the entire immune system. This reduces the body’s natural defences, which increases the risk of infections or other serious conditions, including some types of cancer. 

This page has been developed to help explain the science behind a potential new treatment that aims to remove the need for lifelong immunosuppressants for people who have received a liver transplant. It also introduces the clinical study that investigates how the treatment works in people with a liver transplant. If you or a loved one are interested in taking part in the study, please speak to your doctor.