5. Homozoografts: Human tissue from surgical specimens and post mortem examinations will be transplanted to primates by micro-miniature vascular anastomoses. In vivo storage of human tissue is the ultimate objective of this experiment. The availability of homograft material today depends entirely upon the timely death of a donor, since the transfer must be made within a few critical hours. Should homozoo storage be possible, specific human tissues could be available any time or place. It is even conceivable that such zootransfer of human tissue may favorably alter tolerance.

Significance of this Research:

Our particular contribution this far has been to demonstrate in animals that composite tissue such as ears, fingers, and toes can be amputated and reimplanted or transplanted by the microminiature repair of vessels in the realm of 1 mm. The application of these techniques to the field of human replantation and transplantation has unlimited potential.

-HARRY J. BUNCKE, M.D.

By HARRY J. BUNCKE, Jr., M.D. Clinical Instructor Surgery, Stanford University Medical School, Palo Alto, California and WERNER P. SCHULZ Klystron Group, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University Palo Alto, California

THE transplantation of tissue by the classical tube pedicle technique depends upon the development of an axial circulation in the tube which is then sustained by capillaries penetrating from the areas of inset. The ability of the body to re-establish its vascular network in this manner is indeed unique. However, such techniques are time-consuming and have changed but little since they were first described by the Branca brothers and Tagliacozzi (see Gnudi and Webster, 1951) almost 500 years ago.

next page...