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Early history of skin preservation and transplantation; the role of Carl August Ljunggren

Uvelius, Bengt LU and Andersson, Karl Erik LU orcid (2022) In Journal of Medical Biography
Abstract

During the late 19th and the early 20th century there was an unprecedented development in medical research. Tissue and cell culture rapidly developed into areas with many contributing scientists. The same is true for tissue transplantation. When these achievements are described afterwards in a historical context and a mainline development is constructed, there are researchers whose pioneering work is forgotten. The present paper attempts to correct this and to present a correct description of the start of tissue preservation and transplantation. We have traced relevant original publications in international journals between 1870 and 1920. The traditional view is that Alexis Carrel was the first He received a Nobel Prize 1912 for his... (More)

During the late 19th and the early 20th century there was an unprecedented development in medical research. Tissue and cell culture rapidly developed into areas with many contributing scientists. The same is true for tissue transplantation. When these achievements are described afterwards in a historical context and a mainline development is constructed, there are researchers whose pioneering work is forgotten. The present paper attempts to correct this and to present a correct description of the start of tissue preservation and transplantation. We have traced relevant original publications in international journals between 1870 and 1920. The traditional view is that Alexis Carrel was the first He received a Nobel Prize 1912 for his work on vascular suture and the transplantation of blood vessels and organs. The same year he published an article on human skin storage and transplantation. This was more than a decade later than Carl August Ljunggren (1860–1934) who 1898 published his pioneering but long forgotten work on human skin preservation and transplantation, and with a vision of tissue banks. Our article contains a brief biography of Ljunggren, and further reconstructs the processes that resulted in the lack of awareness today of his achievements. Conclusion: Carl August Ljunggren was the first to preserve human skin in vitro for prolonged periods, followed by transplantation of the specimens to other patients. He was also the first to propose the use of tissue banks.

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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
carrel, Ljunggren, Tissue culture, transplantation
in
Journal of Medical Biography
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85130036118
  • pmid:35491684
ISSN
0967-7720
DOI
10.1177/09677720221099007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c8054f00-3c7f-4e27-a6ac-ae1b1cd4e6ac
date added to LUP
2022-07-12 11:46:53
date last changed
2024-06-11 13:37:46
@article{c8054f00-3c7f-4e27-a6ac-ae1b1cd4e6ac,
  abstract     = {{<p>During the late 19th and the early 20th century there was an unprecedented development in medical research. Tissue and cell culture rapidly developed into areas with many contributing scientists. The same is true for tissue transplantation. When these achievements are described afterwards in a historical context and a mainline development is constructed, there are researchers whose pioneering work is forgotten. The present paper attempts to correct this and to present a correct description of the start of tissue preservation and transplantation. We have traced relevant original publications in international journals between 1870 and 1920. The traditional view is that Alexis Carrel was the first He received a Nobel Prize 1912 for his work on vascular suture and the transplantation of blood vessels and organs. The same year he published an article on human skin storage and transplantation. This was more than a decade later than Carl August Ljunggren (1860–1934) who 1898 published his pioneering but long forgotten work on human skin preservation and transplantation, and with a vision of tissue banks. Our article contains a brief biography of Ljunggren, and further reconstructs the processes that resulted in the lack of awareness today of his achievements. Conclusion: Carl August Ljunggren was the first to preserve human skin in vitro for prolonged periods, followed by transplantation of the specimens to other patients. He was also the first to propose the use of tissue banks.</p>}},
  author       = {{Uvelius, Bengt and Andersson, Karl Erik}},
  issn         = {{0967-7720}},
  keywords     = {{carrel; Ljunggren; Tissue culture; transplantation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of Medical Biography}},
  title        = {{Early history of skin preservation and transplantation; the role of Carl August Ljunggren}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09677720221099007}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/09677720221099007}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}