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Pre-transplantation tissue culturing appears to prevent rejection
Transplantation research has progressed rapidly in recent years, but one of the most significant— even revolutionary—advances may be just beyond the horizon.A young research physician has discovered a way to avoid rejection of skin and certain other organs transplanted against strong histocompatibility barriers in man and other species simply by maintaining the donor organs in tissue culture for variable periods before transplantation. "I have to prove it to myself again every day I come into the laboratory," William T. Summerlin, MD, said in an interview, "but our results are consistent and very encouraging."The laboratory at the University of Minnesota looks ordinary enough until you open the incubator and see the rows of Petri dishes sitting on racks. Floating in culture medium are pieces of human, mouse, pig, and guinea pig skin, isolated mouse adrenal glands, or corneas from humans, rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens