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1906
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The first kidney transplantations are done without anti-rejection
drugs. Kidneys from sheep, pigs, goats and primates are
used.
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1936
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Dr. Voronoy, a Russian, reports the first human-to-human
kidney transplant, when a kidney from a cadaver is transplanted
to a recipient with a different blood type.
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1944
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A British scientist, Sir Peter Medawar, reports that rejection
of a transplant is based on immunologic factors. This
discovery eventually transforms transplant surgery from
a largely unsuccessful experiment to an accepted form
of treatment.
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1954
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Surgeons Joseph E. Murray and John Hartwell Harrison,
in collaboration with nephrologist John P. Merrill, perform
the first successful kidney transplant -- between identical
twins -- at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.
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1963
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Dr. Thomas E. Starzl performs the first human liver transplant
at the University of Colorado Medical School; however,
lack of effective immunosuppressives limits the success.
Four years later, the availability of more effective immunosuppressives
enables Dr. Starzl to perform the first successful liver
transplant.
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1963
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Dr. James D. Hardy performs the first lung transplant
at the University of Mississippi at Jackson; however,
the patient survives only a few days because of the lack
of effective immunosuppression drugs. Twenty years later,
with improved immunosuppressives, Dr. Joel Cooper performs
the first successful lung transplant at Toronto General
Hospital.
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1967
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Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first heart transplant
at Groote Shuur in Cape Town, South Africa.
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1968
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Dr. Norman Shumway performs the first U.S. heart transplant
at Stanford University.
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1968
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Drs. Richard Lillehei and William Kelly perform the first
pancreas transplant at the University of Minnesota Hospital.
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1979
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U.S. trials of Sandimmune (cyclosporine) in cadaver kidney
transplants begin at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in
Boston and at the University of Colorado. The results
show that Sandimmune (cyclosporine), combined with steroids,
controls rejection better than any drug therapy in the
past.
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1983
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The Federal Drug Administration releases Sandimmune (cyclosporine)
for general use in the U.S., heralding a new era for kidney,
liver and heart transplantation.
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1986
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Dr. A. Benedict Cosimi and his associates at Massachusetts
General Hospital introduce monoclonal antibodies into
clinical medicine in the form of OKT3 antibodies, which
have a selective effect on the immune system and are intended
primarily for reversing kidney transplant rejection.
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1989
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Clinical investigators begin using an experimental drug
called FK 506 for kidney, liver, heart and lung recipients.
Results suggest that this drug is effective, but clinical
trials continue to assess its safety and efficacy.
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1993
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Continuing shortages in organ donation lead to renewed
interest in transplanting organs from animals such as
baboons (often referred to as xenografting). Baboon-to-human
liver and heart transplants have been attempted, with
limited success. A new research strategy involves developing
a line of pigs with the appropriate human genes to help
prevent rejection of organs such as hearts, livers and
kidneys transplanted from these animals.
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1994
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The FDA approves a new medication for use in transplant
recipients: Prograf (formerly known as FK506) marks a
significant advance in the understanding and suppression
of the human rejection response and in the lessening of
unwanted side effects.
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1995
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A new study by Dr. Paul Terasaki and colleagues at UCLA
shows that spouses are an important source of living-donor
kidney transplants. According to the Terasaki study, the
3-year graft survival rate for spouse-to-spouse transplants
(85%) is comparable to that seen in parent-to-child transplants
(82%) and better than that seen in transplants from cadaver
donors (70%). Living donation is becoming an increasingly
important source of kidney and other transplants because
of continuing shortages of cadaver donors.
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1995
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Two more new medicines are approved by the FDA for use
in transplant recipients. These are: CellCept (mycophenolate
mofetil), and Neoral, a new formulation of cyclosporine.
These drugs hold promise for providing even better control
of rejection with fewer side effects.
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1995
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At Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Lloyd Ratner,
M.D. and Louis Kavoussi, M.D., perform the world's first
laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy in which a patient's
kidney is removed through a hole slightly larger than
a silver dollar. Laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomies
mean fewer post-op days in the hospital, speedier recovery,
less scarring and decreased post-operative pain.
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1996
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The number of kidney transplants using living donors (both
related and unrelated) continues to grow. A total of 11,099
kidney transplants were performed in 1996 -- 3,389 of
which involved kidneys recovered from living donors.
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1997
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The Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
announces a research breakthrough that raises new hope
that acute transplant rejection may be prevented and reversed
without the need for chronic immunosuppressant drugs.
Navy researchers report that they are now able to prevent
kidney transplant rejection in primates with different
histocompatibility factors through the use of a combination
of a specific fusion protein and a specific monoclonal
antibody. Further trials are necessary to determine future
applicability of the technique to humans.
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