NHMRC Impact Case Study on Establishing kidney transplantation

Overview

Up until the mid-20th century there was little that clinicians could do to help a patient with renal (kidney) failure: the condition was fatal. By the late 1960s, however, advancements in medical research had made it possible to replace diseased kidneys with healthy ones through transplantation and to keep patients alive with dialysis until donor kidneys became available. NHMRC-funded clinician researchers played key roles in transforming kidney transplantation from an experimental procedure to a world-leading health care service for Australians with renal disease.