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Duke Hospital, InterCom
Tissue Transplantation Program Underway Outstanding Employee
DR. DENNIS AMOS
A major research effort looking to
ward the transplantation of skin, kid
neys and other tissues and organs
from one human being to another is
underway in the Medical Center. A
grant of $138,947 to support this pro
gram of basic studies for the next year
has been awarded by the Division of
General Medical Sciences of the Na
tional Institutes of Health.
Dr. Dennis B. Amos, who joined the
Duke facidty in August as professor
of immunology, will head the research
])rograni.
Commenting on the significance of
the project, he said, “Attempts at
transplantation in humans, except in
the rare cases of identical twins, have
been generally Tinsuccessful . . . The
problem of organ transplantation may
be one of the greatest missions of sur
gery in the future, but it will require
Volunteers Needed
The Duke Hospital Auxiliary
continues to need workers to staff
the volunteer services. Please re
cruit any likely prospects.
a real understanding of why grafts
are rejected and do not ‘take.’ ” Dr.
Amos plans to search for simple meth
ods of determining the factors w’hich
produce graft rejection.
Dr. Amos pointed out that tissue
transplantation today is in the posi
tion of blood transfusion before a
basic understanding of blood groups
was acliieved. “Once mechanisms of
blood groups were understood,” he
said, “incompatibilities could be
avoided in almost all eases, and blood
transfusion became a normal accom
paniment of many surgical proce
dures. ’ ’
Dr. Amos, a native of Bromley,
Kent, England, received his medical
education in London. Since 1955 he
has been doing research at the Ros
well Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo,
New York, and has served as associate
research professor of biology at the
University of Buffalo. When ap
pointed to the Duke faculty, he was
principal cancer research scientist at
Roswell Park. He had been studying
various aspects of tumor transplanta
tion in mice. He plans now to study
the transplantation antigen .system in
man, w'ith the hope of eventually dis
tinguishing compatible donor-host
combinations.
His associates are Dr. Eugene Day,
associate professor of immunology,
and Dr. R. S. Metzger, assistant pro
fessor of immunology. Both have been
engaged in cancer research at Rosw'ell
Park. Dr. Delford Stickel, Markle
Scholar in Surgery, is associated with
the group as a graduate student.
Welcome Frosh!
For a week in mid-September the
Duke campus sprouted “Welcome
Frosh” signs like crocuses in early
spring. The Medical Center welcomes
94 new nursing students and 81 new
medical students. The total enroll
ment in the medical school is now
333; in the nursing school 302.
MRS. NANNIE BELL
Mrs. Nannie Bell, a member of our
Nursing Service assigned as a night
maid to the Emergency Room, has
received the Outstanding Employee
Award this month. Mrs. Bell was em
ployed by the Duke Medical Center
on E'ebruary 14,1942. This represents
her 20th year of service to the hos
pital. Her supervisors state that Mrs.
Bell is a most dependable and reliable
employee with a great deal of interest
and pride in her work. Her friendly,
pleasing manner is complemented by
her willingness to cooperate w'ith those
she serves.
Our congratulations go to Mrs. Nan
nie Bell.
Don’t Forget Your
Flu Shot
The influenza virus vaccine
(polyvalent type) is being given
free in the Employee Health Office
every Thursday and Friday
through December. Hours: 1:30-
4:30 P.M. Persons allergic to eggs,
cliicken and feathers will not be
given the vaccine.