Joseph Murray
What organ did Joseph Murray successfully transplant for the first time?
Kidney
Why were the identical twin transplants successful?
Donor and recipient have exactly the same type of tissues
(their cells have the same surface antigens)
Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD)
A condition where donated cells attack the living cells of the recipient (which both Murray and Thomas had to contend with)
What does “translational medicine” mean?
Turning laboratory discoveries into clinical treatments
What made Murray’s first transplant succeed without rejection?
The donor and recipient were identical twins
What disease did E. Donnall Thomas primarily aim to treat with bone marrow transplantation?
Leukemia
Function of the kidney
To filter waste products and toxins from the blood stream
How could organ transplantation be considered to undermine the Hippocratic Oath?
The removal of a vital organ by a donor could be considered a "harm" to them, negating the benefit to the recipient
What technology could potentially solve the shortage of human organ donors?
Lab-grown, bioengineered organs, Xenotransplantation, Organoids
What challenge in medicine did Murray’s success help solve?
Organ rejection
Why did early human bone marrow transplants often fail?
Because of graft rejection and lack of immune matching
Function of bone marrow
Produces red and white blood cells
What ethical issue arises when experimenting with new transplant methods?
The balance between innovation, patient safety, and donor repercussions.
What was the success rate of bone marrow transplants by 1976 for patients in first remission?
Increased from 10% to about 60–70%
How did Murray’s work bridge surgery, immunology, and pharmacology?
He combined surgical innovation with immune suppression to make transplants possible
What discovery made by Amos, Payne, and Dausset advanced Thomas’s work in human transplants?
The discovery of the HLA system (Human Leukocyte Antigens)
What is the function of dialysis
To replace the kidney's function by manually removing toxins and waste products through a machine, multiple times weekly.
Why is obtaining informed consent from donors crucial in transplantation ethics?
It ensures autonomy and prevents exploitation of donors
How did Murray’s and Thomas’s work influence future collaborations between surgeons and scientists?
It showed interdisciplinary teamwork was essential for solving complex medical challenges
Why was Murray’s decision to pursue transplantation research considered “pointless” at the time, and what convinced him otherwise?
Most believed transplants would always fail; he believed immunosuppression was the key to success
Why was graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) seen as both a danger and a “necessary evil”?
Given that GVHD would always pose a risk for non-identical donors, it needed to be managed for organ donation to exist as a life-saving treatment.
How have evolving ethical standards shaped modern transplant research compared to Murray and Thomas’s era?
Today, strict review boards, consent laws, and risk-benefit analyses guide all human transplant trials.
Ex. Trials in dogs may not be approved in this day and age
How does the 2025 Nobel prize in physiology and medicine continue Murray and Thomas's work?
Experiments are being run to modify regulatory T-cells so that they can protect the recipients immune system fro attacking donor organs