Scientific and Societal Transfer in Transplantation Medicine

Transplantation medicine is considered a pacesetter for medical innovations. Aside from the development of highly complex surgical methods, interdisciplinary cooperation and close collaboration with basic medical research have always been necessary in order to master the challenges of transplantation medicine. Understanding the immune system as well as controlling tissue rejection through targeted medication were the prerequisites of our current ability to "routinely" perform transplants in the case of terminal organ failure.

But beyond medical feasibility, transplantation medicine also has to wrestle with societal, ethical and legal problems. Questions related to distributive justice (utility principle versus urgency) or organ donation (e.g. presumed consent, organ donation after cerebral death, remunerated organ donation) require further transdisciplinary discussion in order to gain societal acceptance and legitimacy.

When looking at the future, transplantation medicine repeatedly fosters the following questions: how much pioneering spirit is permissible? What are the boundaries of the possible and the ethically justifiable? How can medical innovation be transferred from the laboratory to the sickbed as safely as possible? How can society be supported when it tries to respond to complex transplantation and ethics challenges?

Within the CAS Research Focus, these questions will be discussed with a broad interdisciplinary audience as well as socially, ethically and legally contextualized. The aim of the research focus is to establish an interdisciplinary network at LMU. This network should be in a position to pursue the main tenor of the CAS Research Focus in the future while also reinforcing its expertise in order to function as a national political consultant for questions revolving around transplantation medicine.

Spokesperson

Scientific Board

Working Group

Visiting Fellows

Dr. Karin Bruckmüller

Previous Visiting Fellow

Prof. Eric Racine, Ph.D.

Previous Visiting Fellow

Events

  • Workshop – "Lebendspende in der Organtransplantation: Welches Risiko ist gesellschaftlich akzeptabel?"
    (Winter Semester 2011/12)
  • Lecture of Prof. Bruno Reichart – "Xenogene Herz- und Inseltransplantationen – 'Ersatzteile' für den menschlichen Körper"
    (Winter Semester 2011/12)
  • Lecture of Prof. Valentin Groebner – "Als Geschenk das Leben: Menschliche Körperteile auf dem Markt, Historisch gesehen"
    (Summer Semester 2012)
  • Lecture of Prof. Francis DelMonico – "The Global State of Organ Transplantation"
    (Summer Semester 2012)
  • Lecture by Dr. Karin Bruckmüller – "Die gesetzlichen Grenzen der Lebendorganspende in Deutschland und Österreich. Schutz oder Hindernis für Spender und Praktiker?"
    (Winter Semester 2012/13)
  • Panel Discussion – "Organ Transplantation and the Gap between Supply and Demand: International Experiences"
    (Winter Semester 2012/13)
  • Discussion – "Qualitätssicherung in der Transplantationsmedizin"
    (Summer Semester 2013)
  • Panel Discussion – "Brain Death as a Prerequisite for Organ Donation: Exploring Current Challenges from an International Perspective"
    (Summer Semester 2013)

Press

Medizin am Limit, in: CAS Aviso 8 (2013), S. 1-4.