1963-----------K. Reemtsma., Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans transplanted chimpanzee kidneys into six patients with advanced kidney failure.
1968-----------Dr. Chang,St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia-first early heart transplant.
1983-----------Formation of the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF)--Offers modest assistance grants and counsels patients regarding cost and location of transplant centers.
1984-----------Baby Fae-receives a baboon heart because its own heart had a lethal defect.
1984-----------National Organ Transplant Act of 1984--helps with organization of transplant services, supply and procuring of services, and financing transplant procedures and immunosuppressive drug therapy. Forbids sale of human organs.
1980-85-------Introduction of cyclosporin-immunosuppressant drug.
1987-----------Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)publishes regulations for Medicare coverage of heart transplants.
1989------------United Network Organ Sharing (UNOS)-in existence.
1989------------Transplant Act of 1989-allows transplants from living genetically related donors.
1990's----------International Forum for Transplant Ethics--in existence.
1992------------35 year old man receives a baboon liver at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
1993-------------Largest baboon colony-San Antonio Biomedical Research.
1994-------------National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine establishes committee to examine zenotransplantation.
1995-------------University of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers successfully grow cartilage in the shape of a human ear on the back of a mouse, using a polymer.
1996--------------Nearly 50,000 donor organs needed, only approximately 20,000 organ transplants completed.
1996--------------Cross-species (zenotransplantation) becomes successful.
1996--------------Biotechnological companies, such as Nextran and Imutran develop pig organs for transplantation.
1996------------Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative fosters commercialization of tissue engineering.