Please, read this article in the link to learn more about immunosuppression therapy

Three situations during pediatric heart transplant require specific combinations of immunosuppressive therapies:

• (1) Induction therapy: initial high-dose immunosuppression to facilitate graft acceptance, minimize the chance of early rejection, and potentially favor induction of tolerance;
• (2) maintenance therapy for chronic acceptance of the allograft;
• (3) augmented immunosuppression to reverse episodes of acute rejection

Induction therapy Generally, includes one of two approaches:

1. Basiliximab, block IL-2 receptors
2. Antithymocyte globulin which targets the T-Cell receptor and causes it to be removed from the cell surface or induces destruction of the entire cell through multiple mechanism

• The rationale of induction therapy is to provide more intensive immunosuppression at the time when the alloimmune response is most intense.
• Although induction therapy is used by approximately one-half of transplant programs, a survival benefit attendant on its use has not been clearly established.

Maintenance immunosuppression: 3 main groups of drugs

• 1. Steroids
• 2. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI)
• 3. Antiproliferative drugs