The first successful human kidney transplant was performed in 1954.

Today, organ transplantation is considered by most to be almost routine, but in the past, such procedures were considered next to impossible. Even after medical professionals possessed sufficient knowledge to enable them to remove a healthy organ from one body and successfully place it in another, they still had to overcome the formidable problems of organ rejection and immunological response. The human body is designed to reject foreign objects within it. White blood cells and other immune-response cells seek out and attempt to destroy any invading organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. In essence, an organ from another body is just a giant invading organism to these immune-response cells, and hence, when organ transplants were attempted, the organs were immediately rejected by the recipient’s body. After years of research and trial and error, certain drugs were developed that helped suppress this immune response, allowing organ recipients to receive, and not reject, transplanted organs. On this date in 1954, a team of doctors at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, led by Dr. Joseph Murray, performed the first successful human organ transplant, placing into the body of Richard Herrick a kidney donated by his twin brother, Ronald.

Science NetLinks
In Transplant Tolerance (6–12), students hear about research being done on the eye that may help transplant patients in the future. Unlike other parts of the body, the eye doesn't swell up in response to injury or infection. Swelling can damage the eye's fragile tissues, so a safety mechanism in the eye prevents that from happening. Now, researchers are studying how the eye does this. That knowledge could someday help organ transplant patients tolerate foreign organs more easily.

The Science Update Hair Transplant (6–12) focuses on the science of hair transplantation. Students learn of research that has revealed the existence of a cell involved in follicle growth, which, when donated, is not rejected by the recipient’s immune system.

In Learning from Hibernating Animals (6–12), students learn about the work of molecular biologist Matthew Andrews. Andrews’ work with hibernating animals may have a potential impact on the preservation of human organs.

ARTSEDGE
Part of a three-part unit, Systems of the Body: Movement and Choreography (5–8) gives students some kinesthetic activities to help them remember complex scientific concepts. Throughout the series of lessons, students create movement patterns that express information about the basic systems, organs and processes of the human body, and then work in pairs and groups to make movement choices that communicate scientific concepts.