WHO GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON HUMAN CELL,TISSUE AND ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION

摘要

As the Director-General's report to the Executive Board at its Seventy-ninth session pointed out, human organ transplantation began with a series of experimental studies at the beginning of thetwentieth century. The report drew attention to some of the major clinical and scientific advances in the field since Alexis Carrel was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1912 for his pioneering work. Surgical transplantation of human organs from deceased, as well as living, donors to sick and dying patients began after the Second World War. Over the past 50 years, the transplantation of human organs, tissues and cells has become a worldwide practice which has extended, and greatly enhanced the quality of, hundreds of thousands of lives. Continuous improvements in medical technology, particularly in relation to organ and tissue rejection, have led to an increase in the demand for organs and tissues, which has always exceeded supply despite substantial expansion in deceased organ donation as well as greater reliance on donation from living persons in recent years.