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{{Short description|American plastic surgeon (1919–2012)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Infobox scientist
{{Infobox scientist
|image = Joseph_Murray.png
| image = Joseph Murray Nobel Portrait.jpg
|name = Joseph Murray
| name = Joseph E. Murray
|birth_name = Joseph Edward Murray
| birth_name = Joseph Edward Murray
|birth_date = {{birth date|1919|4|1|mf=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|4|1|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Milford, Massachusetts]], U.S.
|birth_place = [[Milford, Massachusetts|Milford]], [[Massachusetts]], U.S.<ref name="ww">{{cite book|title=The International Who's Who 2004|first=Elizabeth|last=Sleeman|publisher=Routledge|year=2003|isbn=1-85743-217-7|url=https://archive.org/details/internationalwho2004ond}}</ref>
|death_date = {{death date and age|2012|11|26|1919|4|1|mf=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|11|26|1919|4|1|mf=yes}}
|death_place = [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]
| death_place = [[Boston, Massachusetts]], U.S.
|residence = [[Wellesley, Massachusetts|Wellesley]], [[Massachusetts]]
| field = [[Plastic surgery]], [[reconstructive surgery]], [[organ transplantation|transplantation]]
|nationality = American
| workplaces = {{Tree list}}
* [[Harvard Medical School]]
|field = [[Plastic surgery]], [[reconstructive surgery]], [[organ transplantation|transplantation]]
** [[Brigham and Women's Hospital|Mass General Brigham]]
|work_institutions =
{{tree list/end}}
|alma_mater = [[College of the Holy Cross]] and [[Harvard Medical School]]<ref name="natureobit"/>
| education = [[College of the Holy Cross]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Harvard Medical School|Harvard University]] ([[M. D.|MD]])
|known_for = First successful [[kidney transplant]]
|prizes = [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1990
| known_for = First successful [[organ transplant]]
| awards = [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] (1990)<br />[[Golden Plate Award]] (1991)<br />[[Laetare Medal]] (2005)
|religion = [[Roman Catholic]]
}}
}}
'''Joseph Edward Murray''' (April 1, 1919&nbsp;– November 26, 2012) was an American [[plastic surgeon]] who performed the first successful human [[Kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]] on [[identical twins]] [[Richard Herrick|Richard]] and Ronald Herrick on December 23, 1954.<ref name="ww"/><ref name="natureobit">{{Cite journal | author = Peter Morris| authorlink = Peter Morris (surgeon)| title = Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012)| doi = 10.1038/493164a | journal = Nature | volume = 493| issue = 164| pages = 164| year = 2013 | pmid = 23302851| pmc = | bibcode = 2013Natur.493..164M| doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal
'''Joseph Edward Murray''' (April 1, 1919 – November 26, 2012) was an American [[plastic surgeon]] who is known as the "father of transplantation" for major milestones in the field of transplantation, including performing the first successful human [[Kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]],<ref name="natureobit">{{Cite journal |author=Morris |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Morris (surgeon) |year=2013 |title=Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012) |journal=Nature |volume=493 |issue=164 |pages=164 |bibcode=2013Natur.493..164M |doi=10.1038/493164a |pmid=23302851 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal
| last1 = Tullius | first1 = S. G.
| last1 = Tullius | first1 = S. G.
| title = Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919-2012): A Life of Curiosity, Humanism, and Persistence
| title = Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012): A Life of Curiosity, Humanism, and Persistence
| doi = 10.1111/ajt.12076
| doi = 10.1111/ajt.12076
| journal = American Journal of Transplantation
| journal = American Journal of Transplantation
Line 28: Line 28:
| year = 2013
| year = 2013
| pmid = 23279678
| pmid = 23279678
| pmc =
| s2cid = 31387398
| s2cid = 31387398
| doi-access = free
}}</ref>
}}</ref> defining brain death, the organization of the first international conference on human kidney transplants and founding of the National Kidney Registry, the forerunner of the current United Network Of Organ Sharing (UNOS). By 2013, more than one million patients are estimated to have benefitted from organ transplantation around the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tullius |first=S. G. |date=2013-01-01 |title=Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012): A Life of Curiosity, Humanism, and Persistence |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1600613522257608 |journal=American Journal of Transplantation |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=5–6 |doi=10.1111/ajt.12076 |pmid=23279678 |issn=1600-6135|doi-access=free }}</ref>


Murray shared the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1990 with [[E. Donnall Thomas]] for their discoveries concerning "organ and cell transplantation in the treatment of human disease."<ref>{{Cite journal
Murray shared the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] in 1990 with [[E. Donnall Thomas]] for "their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation in the treatment of human disease."<ref>{{Cite journal
| last1 = Guild | first1 = W. R.
| last1 = Guild | first1 = W. R.
| last2 = Harrison | first2 = J. H.
| last2 = Harrison | first2 = J. H.
| last3 = Merrill | first3 = J. P.
| last3 = Merrill | first3 = J. P.
| last4 = Murray | first4 = J.
| last4 = Murray | first4 = J.
| authorlink4 = Joseph Murray
| author-link4 = Joseph Murray
| title = Successful homotransplantation of the kidney in an identical twin.
| title = Successful homotransplantation of the kidney in an identical twin.
| journal = Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association
| journal = Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association
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| year = 2011
| year = 2011
| pmid = 21420544
| pmid = 21420544
| pmc =
| s2cid = 205962116
| s2cid = 205962116
| doi-access = free
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1990|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1990/press.html|publisher=Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute|accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref>
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1990|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1990/press.html|publisher=Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute|access-date=November 27, 2012}}</ref>


==Biography==
⚫
==Early life and education==
Murray was born to William A. and Mary (née DePasquale) Murray, and grew up in [[Milford, Massachusetts]]. He was of Irish and Italian descent.Joseph E. Murray and the "Story of the First Human Kidney Transplant" {{ISBN|1584151366}}</ref> A star athlete at the [[Milford High School (Massachusetts)|Milford High School]], he excelled in football, ice hockey, and baseball. Upon graduation, Murray attended the [[College of the Holy Cross]] intending to play baseball; however, baseball practices and lab schedules conflicted; forcing him to give up baseball. He studied philosophy and English, earning a degree in humanities in 1940. Murray later attended [[Harvard Medical School]]. After graduating with his medical degree, Murray began his internship at the [[Peter Bent Brigham]] [[Brigham and Women's Hospital|Hospital]]. During that time, he was inducted into the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army. {{Citation needed|date=November 2012}}
Murray was born on April 1, 1919, in [[Milford, Massachusetts]], to noted lawyer and local judge, William Murray and William A. and Mary (née DePasquale) Murray, a schoolteacher. He was of Irish and Italian descent. A star athlete at the [[Milford High School (Massachusetts)|Milford High School]], he excelled in football, ice hockey, and baseball. After being influenced by his family doctor, Murray resolved to become a surgeon.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tan |first1=Siang Yong |last2=Merchant |first2=Jason |date=April 2019 |title=Joseph Murray (1919–2012): First transplant surgeon |journal=[[Singapore Medical Journal]] |volume=60 |issue=4 |pages=162–163 |doi=10.11622/smedj.2019032 |pmid=31069396|doi-access=free |pmc=6482420 }}</ref>


Upon graduation, Murray attended the [[College of the Holy Cross]] with the intent to play baseball. However, his baseball practices and lab schedules conflicted, forcing him to give up the sport. He studied philosophy and English, earning a degree in the [[humanities]] at Holy Cross in 1940. Murray subsequently attended [[Harvard Medical School]];<ref name="natureobit" /> after graduating with his medical degree in 1943, Murray began his internship at the [[Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]]. During that time, he was inducted into the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Monaco|first=Anthony P.|date=2013-04-15|title=Joseph Edward Murray, M.D., 1919–2012: Pioneering Transplant and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon and Scientist, Nobel Laureate, Humanitarian—An Appreciation|url=https://journals.lww.com/transplantjournal/Fulltext/2013/04150/Joseph_Edward_Murray,_M_D_,_1919_2012__Pioneering.1.aspx|journal=Transplantation|language=en-US|volume=95|issue=7|pages=903–907|doi=10.1097/TP.0b013e3182895cf2|pmid=23429736 |issn=0041-1337|doi-access=free}}</ref>
He served in the plastic surgery unit at [[Valley Forge General Hospital]] in [[Pennsylvania]]. At Valley Forge General Hospital for an esteemed plastic surgeon, Bradford Cannon, and developed a lifelong passion for plastic surgery. His unit cared for thousands of soldiers wounded on the battlefields of [[World War II]], working to reconstruct their disfigured hands and faces. His interest in transplantation grew out of working with burn patients during his time in the Army. Murray and his colleagues observed that the burn victims rejected temporary skin grafts from unrelated donors much more slowly than had been expected, suggesting the potential for organ grafts, or transplants. {{Citation needed|date=November 2012}}


Murray served in the plastic surgery unit from 1944 to 1947 at [[Valley Forge General Hospital]] in [[Pennsylvania]]. At Valley Forge General Hospital, he worked for Bradford Cannon, a prominent plastic surgeon, and developed a passion for [[plastic surgery]]. His unit cared for thousands of soldiers wounded on the battlefields of [[World War II]], working to reconstruct their disfigured hands and faces. His interest in transplantation grew out of working with burn patients during his time in the Army. Murray and his colleagues observed that the burn victims rejected temporary skin grafts from unrelated donors much more slowly than had been expected, suggesting the potential for organ grafts, or transplants.<ref name=":0" /> In particular Murray was impressed with the case of Charles Woods, a 22-year-old pilot who had sustained burns over 70% of his body, including his face and hands, which required covering the burned areas with cadaveric skin grafts. The donor grafts survived long enough for Woods’ own healthy skin to be harvested and used as autografts to cover the burned areas. Over the course of 24 operations, the surgical team was able to remodel his eyelids, nose, mouth and hands, with Woods surviving the operations and eventually becoming a successful businessman. Murray would later recall, ''“The questions raised and lessons learned in trying to help Charles would determine the course of the rest of my professional life.”.'' Murray's first exposure to the field of reconstructive surgery ignited his lifelong passion for correcting terrible physical deformities and spawned another interest, transplantation – for Murray had seen for the first time how the tissue of one person could be used to save the life of another.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Tan |first1=Siang Yong |last2=Merchant |first2=Jason |date=2019-04-01 |title=Joseph Murray (1919–2012): First transplant surgeon |journal=Singapore Medical Journal |volume=60 |issue=4 |pages=162–163 |doi=10.11622/smedj.2019032 |issn=0037-5675 |pmc=6482420 |pmid=31069396 }}</ref>
After his military service, Murray completed his general surgical residency, and joined the surgical staff of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He then went to New York to train in plastic surgery at New York and Memorial Hospitals, returning to the Brigham as a member of the surgical staff in 1951.


In 2001, Murray published his autobiography, ''Surgery Of The Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pai |first=Sanjay A. |year=2002 |title=Surgery of the Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career |journal=BMJ |volume=324 |issue=7340 |pages=795 |pmc=1122735 |doi=10.1136/bmj.324.7340.795}}</ref>
In 2001, Murray published his autobiography, ''Surgery Of The Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career,'' with stories about how surgery treats the souls of the patient and the surgeon, as well as the disease.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pai |first=Sanjay A. |year=2002 |title=Surgery of the Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career |journal=BMJ |volume=324 |issue=7340 |pages=795 |pmc=1122735 |doi=10.1136/bmj.324.7340.795}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
After his military service, Murray completed his general surgical residency, and joined the surgical staff of the [[Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]]. He then went to New York to train in plastic surgery at New York and Memorial Hospitals, returning to the Brigham as a member of the surgical staff in 1951. Many of his peers discounted his pursuit, believing that the problem of immune rejection was insurmountable,<ref name=":1" /> as French surgeon [[Alexis Carrel]] (1873–1944), a 1912 [[Nobel Prize]] laureate, had concluded from his research that a “biological force” would forever prevent successful transplantation.<ref>Joseph E. Murray—Nobel Prize for Organ Transplantation Shampo, Marc A. et al. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 76, Issue 3, 240</ref>
⚫
On December 23, 1954, Murray performed the world's first successful renal transplant between the identical Herrick twins at the [[Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]] (''later [[Brigham and Women's Hospital]]''), an operation that lasted five and a half hours. He was assisted by Dr. [[J. Hartwell Harrison]] and other noted physicians. In Operating Room 2 of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Murray transplanted a healthy kidney donated by Ronald Herrick into his twin brother Richard, who was dying of chronic nephritis. Richard lived for eight more years following the operation. In 1959, Murray went on to perform the world's first successful [[allograft]] and, in 1962, the world's first cadaveric renal transplant.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2012/11/27/joseph-murray-who-performed-first-successful-organ-transplant-dies/IvEeI0foncsE3IIZAoag5J/story.html |title = Joseph E. Murray, 93, performed first successful organ transplant - the Boston Globe}}</ref>


Murray was a practicing Catholic and faith played a role in his professional as well as his personal life. During preparations for the first transplant surgery, Murray and his team consulted clergy of all denominations while weighing the ethical issues of the procedure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faith and Family · Reconstructing Lives · OnView |url=https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/reconstructing-lives/faith-family |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=collections.countway.harvard.edu}}</ref>
Throughout the following years, Murray became an international leader in the study of transplantation biology, the use of immunosuppressive agents, and studies on the mechanisms of rejection. In the 1960s, top scientists investigating [[immunosuppressive drugs]] sought to work with Murray. Together, they tailored the new drug [[Imuran]] (generic [[azathioprine]]) for use in transplants. The discovery of Imuran and other anti-rejection drugs, such as [[prednisone]], allowed Murray to carry out transplants from unrelated donors. By 1965, the survival rates after receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor exceeded 65%. {{Citation needed|date=November 2012}}


⚫
On December 23, 1954, Murray performed the world's first successful renal transplant between the identical Herrick twins at the [[Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]] (''later [[Brigham and Women's Hospital]]''), an operation that lasted five and a half hours. He was assisted by [[J. Hartwell Harrison]] and other noted physicians. In Operating Room 2 of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Murray transplanted a healthy kidney donated by Ronald Herrick into his twin brother Richard, who was dying of chronic nephritis. Richard lived for eight more years following the operation, long enough to get married and have two children before succumbing to cardiac failure eight years later. His donor brother Ronald had no major complications and lived over 50 years after the surgery.<ref name=":1" />
⚫
As a Harvard Medical School faculty member, Murray trained physicians from around the world in transplantation and reconstructive surgery, frequently performing surgeries in developing countries. In his 20 years as director of the Surgical Research Laboratory at Harvard and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, he inspired others who became leaders in transplantation and biology throughout the world. He served as chief plastic surgeon at the Peter Bent Brigham (which later became Brigham and Women's Hospital) until 1986. He also served as chief plastic surgeon at [[Children's Hospital Boston]] from 1972–85, retiring as professor of Surgery Emeritus in 1986 from [[Harvard Medical School]]. {{Citation needed|date=November 2012}}


Throughout the following years, Murray became an international leader in the study of transplantation biology, the use of immunosuppressive agents, and studies on the mechanisms of rejection, as well as the study of how to ensure the health and well-being of living donors, and unequivocal opposition to monetary payment for human organs.
⚫
In 1990, he was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in organ transplantation.


In 1959, Murray went on to perform the world's first successful [[allograft]], who received a kidney from his non-identical brother, after been treated with total body irradiation and continued to live for another 28 years.
⚫
Murray was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and as a regent of the [[American College of Surgeons]]. He received the American Surgical Association's Medal for Distinguished Service to Surgery, the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]' Francis Amory Prize, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons' Honorary Award and Clinician of the Year Award, and the [[National Kidney Foundation]]'s Gift of Life Award. He was named one of the 350 most outstanding citizens, representing the medical profession, for the [[City of Boston]]'s 350th anniversary. In 1991, Murray received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration}}</ref> In 1996, he was appointed Academician<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/academicians/deceased/murray.html|title=Joseph Murray|publisher=Casinapioiv.va|accessdate=November 28, 2012}}</ref> of the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]] in the Vatican.
==Personal Life==
Murray's father was a noted lawyer and a district court judge, mother, a school teacher. He married his college life sweetheart Bobby Link on june 1945, with whom he have 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls.


in 1960, Murray had to get the approval of the Massachusetts Superior courtl before being able to transplant a kidney for a family who travelled from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada to see Dr. Murray from 12-year-old Lana Nightingale into her twin sister Johanna, who became the longest surviving kidney-transplant recipient with over 50 years, which is still the World Guinness Record for longest surviving kidney transplant patient.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tullius |first1=Stefan G. |last2=Rudolf |first2=Julia A. |last3=Malek |first3=Sayeed K. |date=2012-04-26 |title=Moving Boundaries — The Nightingale Twins and Transplantation Science |url=http://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMp1114193 |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |language=en |volume=366 |issue=17 |pages=1564–1565 |doi=10.1056/NEJMp1114193 |pmid=22533575 |issn=0028-4793}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Longest surviving kidney transplant patient |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.de/world-records/longest-surviving-kidney-transplant-patient |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.guinnessworldrecords.com}}</ref>
Murray was selected to receive the [[Laetare Medal]] by the [[University of Notre Dame]] in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society in March 2005.


Dr. Murray teamed up with Nobel prize laureates Drs. [[George H. Hitchings]] and [[Gertrude B. Elion]], both at [[Burroughs Wellcome Fund|Burroughs-Wellcome]], who recognized the immunosuppressive capacities of 6–Mercaptopurin (6-MP) and synthesized the first [[immunosuppressive drugs]]. Together, they tailored the new drug [[Imuran]] (generic [[azathioprine]]) for use in transplants. The discovery of Imuran and other anti-rejection drugs, such as [[prednisone]], allowed Murray to carry out transplants from unrelated donors. In 1962, Dr. Murray performed the first successful deceased donor (cadaveric) kidney transplant treated with Imuran, a derivate of 6-MP and steroids.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joseph E. Murray, 93, performed first successful organ transplant |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2012/11/27/joseph-murray-who-performed-first-successful-organ-transplant-dies/IvEeI0foncsE3IIZAoag5J/story.html |publisher=Boston Globe}}</ref> By 1965, the survival rates after receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor exceeded 65%, and today the success rate for a kidney transplant from a living donor is 90–95% after one year and the transplanted kidney lasts 15 to 20 years on average.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shaw |first1=Brian I. |last2=Villani |first2=Vincenzo |last3=Kesseli |first3=Samuel J. |last4=Nobuhara |first4=Chloe |last5=Samoylova |first5=Mariya L. |last6=Moris |first6=Dimitrios |last7=Collins |first7=Bradley H. |last8=McElroy |first8=Lisa M. |last9=Poh |first9=Melissa |last10=Knechtle |first10=Stuart J. |last11=Barbas |first11=Andrew S. |last12=Seigler |first12=Hilliard F. |date=2021-11-24 |title=A Historical Cohort in Kidney Transplantation: 55-Year Follow-Up of 72 HLA-Identical, Donor-Recipient Pairs |journal=Journal of Clinical Medicine |volume=10 |issue=23 |pages=5505 |doi=10.3390/jcm10235505 |doi-access=free |issn=2077-0383 |pmc=8658388 |pmid=34884207}}</ref>
==Death==
⚫
Murray died on November 26, 2012, aged 93. He suffered a stroke at his suburban [[Boston]] home on [[Thanksgiving]] and died at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the very hospital where he had performed the first organ transplant operation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who performed first successful organ transplant, dies at 93|url=http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2012/11/26/joseph-murray-who-performed-first-successful-organ-transplant-dies/ug9Npw3xfzaUtSyEz7pQPL/story.html|publisher=Boston.com|accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref>


Dr. Murray worked on all the steps necessary to establish organ transplantation as the clinical treatment of choice for patients with irreversible organ failure. In 1962, Dr. Murray led the organization of the first international conference on human kidney transplants in 1962, followed by the founding of the [[National Kidney Registry]], the forerunner of the current [[United Network Of Organ Sharing]] (UNOS). In 1967, he participated in defining brain death, when Robert Ebert, the Dean of the [[Harvard Medical School]] convened a group of physicians, ethicists, and legal scholars to examine the characteristics of a permanently nonfunctioning brain, and Dr Murray was a member of that committee, which included famed neurosurgeon William Sweet, neurologist Raymond Adams, and legal scholar William J. Curran. The work of this committee led to consistent criteria that could be applied prospectively to declare death and ultimately to the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) in 1981.<ref>Interview With Dr Joseph Murray Delmonico, Francis L. American Journal of Transplantation, Volume 2, Issue 9, 803 - 806. Accessed 2024-October-13</ref>
Murray is featured in the book ''Beyond Recognition'', previously titled ''Camel Red''. The book is the story of Larry Heron, who was very seriously injured in [[World War II]], and his road to recovery, which reunited him with Murray, a former classmate.

⚫
As a Harvard Medical School faculty member, Murray trained physicians from around the world in transplantation and reconstructive surgery, frequently performing surgeries in developing countries. In his 20 years as director of the Surgical Research Laboratory at [[Harvard University|Harvard]] and as chief of transplant surgery from 1951 to 1971at the [[Peter Bent Brigham Hospital]] (which later became [[Brigham and Women's Hospital]]), he inspired others who became leaders in transplantation and biology throughout the world.

Notwithstanding his pioneering work in human transplantation, Murray's true passion was still reconstructive surgery. In choosing between the two, he decided to step down as chief of transplant surgery at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1971 to focus on paediatric reconstructive surgery, becoming the chief of plastic surgery from 1972 to 1985 at the [[Boston Children's Hospital]] Medical Center in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]. He developed procedures for repairing birth defects and treating paediatric burn victims.

Murray retired as professor of Surgery Emeritus in 1986 from [[Harvard Medical School]] after recovering from a small stroke.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joseph E. Murray · Plastic Surgery in Boston: Then and Now · OnView: Digital Collections & Exhibits|url=https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/plastic-surgery-in-boston--the/joseph-e--murray#:~:text=from%201972-1985.-,Dr.,Dr.&text=Murray%20became%20the%20first%20plastic,place%20in%20medicine%20and%20surgery.|access-date=2022-02-09|website=collections.countway.harvard.edu}}</ref>

==Awards and recognitions==
⚫
In 1990, he was honored with the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] for his pioneering work in organ transplantation, together with hematologist [[E. Donnall Thomas]]''.''<ref name=":1" />

Murray was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and as a regent of the [[American College of Surgeons]]. He received the American Surgical Association's Medal for Distinguished Service to Surgery, the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]' Francis Amory Prize, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons' Honorary Award and Clinician of the Year Award, and the [[National Kidney Foundation]]'s Gift of Life Award.

⚫
He was named one of the 350 most outstanding citizens representing the medical profession for the [[City of Boston]]'s 350th anniversary. In 1991, Murray received the [[Golden Plate Award]] of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration}}</ref> In 1996, he was appointed Academician<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/academicians/deceased/murray.html|title=Joseph Murray|publisher=Casinapioiv.va|access-date=November 28, 2012}}</ref> of the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]] in the Vatican. Murray was selected to receive the [[Laetare Medal]] by the [[University of Notre Dame]] in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society in March 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garvey |first=Michael O. |title=Murray, organ transplant pioneer, to receive Laetare Medal |url=https://news.nd.edu/news/murray-organ-transplant-pioneer-to-receive-laetare-medal/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Notre Dame News |date=5 March 2005 |language=en}}</ref>

⚫
==Personal life and death==
⚫
Joseph Murray married his college life sweetheart Virginia (Bobby) née Link in June 1945, the two having first met at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with whom he would have 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. At the time of his death, they had been married for 67 years and had 18 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Dr. Murray died on November 26, 2012, aged 93. He suffered a [[stroke]] at his suburban [[Boston]] home on [[Thanksgiving]] and died at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the very hospital where he had performed the first organ transplant operation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dean |first=Cornelia |date=2012-11-27 |title=Joseph E. Murray, Transplant Doctor and Nobel Prize Winner, Dies at 93 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/28/health/dr-joseph-e-murray-transplant-doctor-and-nobel-winner-dies-at-93.html |access-date=2023-05-15 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who performed first successful organ transplant, dies at 93|url=http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2012/11/26/joseph-murray-who-performed-first-successful-organ-transplant-dies/ug9Npw3xfzaUtSyEz7pQPL/story.html|publisher=Boston.com|access-date=November 27, 2012}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American surgeons]]
[[Category:American surgeons]]
[[Category:American army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:College of the Holy Cross alumni]]
[[Category:College of the Holy Cross alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Medical School alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Medical School alumni]]
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[[Category:Laetare Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Laetare Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Physicians of Brigham and Women's Hospital]]
[[Category:Physicians of Brigham and Women's Hospital]]
[[Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine]]

Latest revision as of 01:18, 20 December 2024

Joseph E. Murray
Born
Joseph Edward Murray

(1919-04-01)April 1, 1919
Milford, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 26, 2012(2012-11-26) (aged 93)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationCollege of the Holy Cross (BA)
Harvard University (MD)
Known forFirst successful organ transplant
AwardsNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1990)
Golden Plate Award (1991)
Laetare Medal (2005)
Scientific career
FieldsPlastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, transplantation
Institutions

Joseph Edward Murray (April 1, 1919 – November 26, 2012) was an American plastic surgeon who is known as the "father of transplantation" for major milestones in the field of transplantation, including performing the first successful human kidney transplant,[1][2] defining brain death, the organization of the first international conference on human kidney transplants and founding of the National Kidney Registry, the forerunner of the current United Network Of Organ Sharing (UNOS). By 2013, more than one million patients are estimated to have benefitted from organ transplantation around the world.[3]

Murray shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 with E. Donnall Thomas for "their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation in the treatment of human disease."[4][5][6]

Biography

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Murray was born on April 1, 1919, in Milford, Massachusetts, to noted lawyer and local judge, William Murray and William A. and Mary (née DePasquale) Murray, a schoolteacher. He was of Irish and Italian descent. A star athlete at the Milford High School, he excelled in football, ice hockey, and baseball. After being influenced by his family doctor, Murray resolved to become a surgeon.[7]

Upon graduation, Murray attended the College of the Holy Cross with the intent to play baseball. However, his baseball practices and lab schedules conflicted, forcing him to give up the sport. He studied philosophy and English, earning a degree in the humanities at Holy Cross in 1940. Murray subsequently attended Harvard Medical School;[1] after graduating with his medical degree in 1943, Murray began his internship at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. During that time, he was inducted into the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army.[8]

Murray served in the plastic surgery unit from 1944 to 1947 at Valley Forge General Hospital in Pennsylvania. At Valley Forge General Hospital, he worked for Bradford Cannon, a prominent plastic surgeon, and developed a passion for plastic surgery. His unit cared for thousands of soldiers wounded on the battlefields of World War II, working to reconstruct their disfigured hands and faces. His interest in transplantation grew out of working with burn patients during his time in the Army. Murray and his colleagues observed that the burn victims rejected temporary skin grafts from unrelated donors much more slowly than had been expected, suggesting the potential for organ grafts, or transplants.[8] In particular Murray was impressed with the case of Charles Woods, a 22-year-old pilot who had sustained burns over 70% of his body, including his face and hands, which required covering the burned areas with cadaveric skin grafts. The donor grafts survived long enough for Woods’ own healthy skin to be harvested and used as autografts to cover the burned areas. Over the course of 24 operations, the surgical team was able to remodel his eyelids, nose, mouth and hands, with Woods surviving the operations and eventually becoming a successful businessman. Murray would later recall, “The questions raised and lessons learned in trying to help Charles would determine the course of the rest of my professional life.”. Murray's first exposure to the field of reconstructive surgery ignited his lifelong passion for correcting terrible physical deformities and spawned another interest, transplantation – for Murray had seen for the first time how the tissue of one person could be used to save the life of another.[9]

In 2001, Murray published his autobiography, Surgery Of The Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career, with stories about how surgery treats the souls of the patient and the surgeon, as well as the disease.[10]

Career

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After his military service, Murray completed his general surgical residency, and joined the surgical staff of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He then went to New York to train in plastic surgery at New York and Memorial Hospitals, returning to the Brigham as a member of the surgical staff in 1951. Many of his peers discounted his pursuit, believing that the problem of immune rejection was insurmountable,[9] as French surgeon Alexis Carrel (1873–1944), a 1912 Nobel Prize laureate, had concluded from his research that a “biological force” would forever prevent successful transplantation.[11]

Murray was a practicing Catholic and faith played a role in his professional as well as his personal life. During preparations for the first transplant surgery, Murray and his team consulted clergy of all denominations while weighing the ethical issues of the procedure.[12]

On December 23, 1954, Murray performed the world's first successful renal transplant between the identical Herrick twins at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (later Brigham and Women's Hospital), an operation that lasted five and a half hours. He was assisted by J. Hartwell Harrison and other noted physicians. In Operating Room 2 of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Murray transplanted a healthy kidney donated by Ronald Herrick into his twin brother Richard, who was dying of chronic nephritis. Richard lived for eight more years following the operation, long enough to get married and have two children before succumbing to cardiac failure eight years later. His donor brother Ronald had no major complications and lived over 50 years after the surgery.[9]

Throughout the following years, Murray became an international leader in the study of transplantation biology, the use of immunosuppressive agents, and studies on the mechanisms of rejection, as well as the study of how to ensure the health and well-being of living donors, and unequivocal opposition to monetary payment for human organs.

In 1959, Murray went on to perform the world's first successful allograft, who received a kidney from his non-identical brother, after been treated with total body irradiation and continued to live for another 28 years.

in 1960, Murray had to get the approval of the Massachusetts Superior courtl before being able to transplant a kidney for a family who travelled from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada to see Dr. Murray from 12-year-old Lana Nightingale into her twin sister Johanna, who became the longest surviving kidney-transplant recipient with over 50 years, which is still the World Guinness Record for longest surviving kidney transplant patient.[13][14]

Dr. Murray teamed up with Nobel prize laureates Drs. George H. Hitchings and Gertrude B. Elion, both at Burroughs-Wellcome, who recognized the immunosuppressive capacities of 6–Mercaptopurin (6-MP) and synthesized the first immunosuppressive drugs. Together, they tailored the new drug Imuran (generic azathioprine) for use in transplants. The discovery of Imuran and other anti-rejection drugs, such as prednisone, allowed Murray to carry out transplants from unrelated donors. In 1962, Dr. Murray performed the first successful deceased donor (cadaveric) kidney transplant treated with Imuran, a derivate of 6-MP and steroids.[15] By 1965, the survival rates after receiving a kidney transplant from an unrelated donor exceeded 65%, and today the success rate for a kidney transplant from a living donor is 90–95% after one year and the transplanted kidney lasts 15 to 20 years on average.[16]

Dr. Murray worked on all the steps necessary to establish organ transplantation as the clinical treatment of choice for patients with irreversible organ failure. In 1962, Dr. Murray led the organization of the first international conference on human kidney transplants in 1962, followed by the founding of the National Kidney Registry, the forerunner of the current United Network Of Organ Sharing (UNOS). In 1967, he participated in defining brain death, when Robert Ebert, the Dean of the Harvard Medical School convened a group of physicians, ethicists, and legal scholars to examine the characteristics of a permanently nonfunctioning brain, and Dr Murray was a member of that committee, which included famed neurosurgeon William Sweet, neurologist Raymond Adams, and legal scholar William J. Curran. The work of this committee led to consistent criteria that could be applied prospectively to declare death and ultimately to the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) in 1981.[17]

As a Harvard Medical School faculty member, Murray trained physicians from around the world in transplantation and reconstructive surgery, frequently performing surgeries in developing countries. In his 20 years as director of the Surgical Research Laboratory at Harvard and as chief of transplant surgery from 1951 to 1971at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (which later became Brigham and Women's Hospital), he inspired others who became leaders in transplantation and biology throughout the world.

Notwithstanding his pioneering work in human transplantation, Murray's true passion was still reconstructive surgery. In choosing between the two, he decided to step down as chief of transplant surgery at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1971 to focus on paediatric reconstructive surgery, becoming the chief of plastic surgery from 1972 to 1985 at the Boston Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He developed procedures for repairing birth defects and treating paediatric burn victims.

Murray retired as professor of Surgery Emeritus in 1986 from Harvard Medical School after recovering from a small stroke.[18]

Awards and recognitions

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In 1990, he was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in organ transplantation, together with hematologist E. Donnall Thomas.[9]

Murray was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and as a regent of the American College of Surgeons. He received the American Surgical Association's Medal for Distinguished Service to Surgery, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Francis Amory Prize, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons' Honorary Award and Clinician of the Year Award, and the National Kidney Foundation's Gift of Life Award.

He was named one of the 350 most outstanding citizens representing the medical profession for the City of Boston's 350th anniversary. In 1991, Murray received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[19] In 1996, he was appointed Academician[20] of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican. Murray was selected to receive the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society in March 2005.[21]

Personal life and death

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Joseph Murray married his college life sweetheart Virginia (Bobby) née Link in June 1945, the two having first met at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with whom he would have 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. At the time of his death, they had been married for 67 years and had 18 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Dr. Murray died on November 26, 2012, aged 93. He suffered a stroke at his suburban Boston home on Thanksgiving and died at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the very hospital where he had performed the first organ transplant operation.[22][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Morris, Peter (2013). "Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012)". Nature. 493 (164): 164. Bibcode:2013Natur.493..164M. doi:10.1038/493164a. PMID 23302851.
  2. ^ Tullius, S. G. (2013). "Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012): A Life of Curiosity, Humanism, and Persistence". American Journal of Transplantation. 13 (1): 5–6. doi:10.1111/ajt.12076. PMID 23279678. S2CID 31387398.
  3. ^ Tullius, S. G. (2013-01-01). "Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919–2012): A Life of Curiosity, Humanism, and Persistence". American Journal of Transplantation. 13 (1): 5–6. doi:10.1111/ajt.12076. ISSN 1600-6135. PMID 23279678.
  4. ^ Guild, W. R.; Harrison, J. H.; Merrill, J. P.; Murray, J. (1955). "Successful homotransplantation of the kidney in an identical twin". Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. 67: 167–173. PMC 2248870. PMID 13360847.
  5. ^ Watts, G. (2011). "Joseph Murray: Innovative surgeon and pioneer of transplantation". The Lancet. 377 (9770): 987. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60375-9. PMID 21420544. S2CID 205962116.
  6. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1990". Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  7. ^ Tan, Siang Yong; Merchant, Jason (April 2019). "Joseph Murray (1919–2012): First transplant surgeon". Singapore Medical Journal. 60 (4): 162–163. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019032. PMC 6482420. PMID 31069396.
  8. ^ a b Monaco, Anthony P. (2013-04-15). "Joseph Edward Murray, M.D., 1919–2012: Pioneering Transplant and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon and Scientist, Nobel Laureate, Humanitarian—An Appreciation". Transplantation. 95 (7): 903–907. doi:10.1097/TP.0b013e3182895cf2. ISSN 0041-1337. PMID 23429736.
  9. ^ a b c d Tan, Siang Yong; Merchant, Jason (2019-04-01). "Joseph Murray (1919–2012): First transplant surgeon". Singapore Medical Journal. 60 (4): 162–163. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019032. ISSN 0037-5675. PMC 6482420. PMID 31069396.
  10. ^ Pai, Sanjay A. (2002). "Surgery of the Soul: Reflections on a Curious Career". BMJ. 324 (7340): 795. doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7340.795. PMC 1122735.
  11. ^ Joseph E. Murray—Nobel Prize for Organ Transplantation Shampo, Marc A. et al. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 76, Issue 3, 240
  12. ^ "Faith and Family · Reconstructing Lives · OnView". collections.countway.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  13. ^ Tullius, Stefan G.; Rudolf, Julia A.; Malek, Sayeed K. (2012-04-26). "Moving Boundaries — The Nightingale Twins and Transplantation Science". New England Journal of Medicine. 366 (17): 1564–1565. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1114193. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 22533575.
  14. ^ "Longest surviving kidney transplant patient". www.guinnessworldrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  15. ^ "Joseph E. Murray, 93, performed first successful organ transplant". Boston Globe.
  16. ^ Shaw, Brian I.; Villani, Vincenzo; Kesseli, Samuel J.; Nobuhara, Chloe; Samoylova, Mariya L.; Moris, Dimitrios; Collins, Bradley H.; McElroy, Lisa M.; Poh, Melissa; Knechtle, Stuart J.; Barbas, Andrew S.; Seigler, Hilliard F. (2021-11-24). "A Historical Cohort in Kidney Transplantation: 55-Year Follow-Up of 72 HLA-Identical, Donor-Recipient Pairs". Journal of Clinical Medicine. 10 (23): 5505. doi:10.3390/jcm10235505. ISSN 2077-0383. PMC 8658388. PMID 34884207.
  17. ^ Interview With Dr Joseph Murray Delmonico, Francis L. American Journal of Transplantation, Volume 2, Issue 9, 803 - 806. Accessed 2024-October-13
  18. ^ "Joseph E. Murray · Plastic Surgery in Boston: Then and Now · OnView: Digital Collections & Exhibits". collections.countway.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  19. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  20. ^ "Joseph Murray". Casinapioiv.va. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  21. ^ Garvey, Michael O. (5 March 2005). "Murray, organ transplant pioneer, to receive Laetare Medal". Notre Dame News. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  22. ^ Dean, Cornelia (2012-11-27). "Joseph E. Murray, Transplant Doctor and Nobel Prize Winner, Dies at 93". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  23. ^ "Dr. Joseph E. Murray, who performed first successful organ transplant, dies at 93". Boston.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
[edit]
  • Joseph E. Murray on Nobelprize.org Edit this at Wikidata including the Nobel Lecture 8 December 1990 The First Successful Organ Transplants in Man
  • The Joseph E. Murray papers can be found at The Center for the History of Medicine at the Countway Library, Harvard Medical School.
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