In Memoriam: E. Donnall Thomas

摘要

On behalf of our colleagues and the readers of this journal, we note the recent passing of E. Donnall Thomas, MD, whose pioneering vision and perseverance fathered the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation across a time span of 40 years, from its conception and early embryonic stages in the 1950s, prenatal gestation in the 1960s, infancy and early childhood in the 1970s, adolescence in the 1980s, and maturation into early adulthood during the 1990s. Milestones included the identification of marrow as a source of transplantable hematopoietic stem cells in humans; the use of total body irradiation to eliminate malignant cells in the recipient and to prevent rejection; the application of histo-compatibility typing to identify suitable related donors; the use of immunosuppressive medications to minimize the risks of rejection and graft-versus-host disease; the implementation of measures to prevent and control deadly bacterial, viral, and fungal infections; and expansion of the donor pool through the use of HLA-matched unrelated volunteers.