The idea of organ transplantation is ancient but it was only in the last quarter of the 20th century that man’s dream of saving lives and improving the quality of life of patients with end stage organ failure became a reality.
The discovery by Borel in 1976 that a compound of fungal origin called cyclosporine potently inhibited activation and proliferation of T-cells had a revolutionary impact on the success of organ transplantation.
Its use dramatically improved the survival rate of transplanted organs and has saved thousands of lives.
Because of cyclosporine, transplantation is now established as a proven and effective treatment for organ failure.
We generally think of fungi as a nuisance, but fungi are a major part of our economy and have saved many lives as medicine.
Many fungi are used for commercial antibiotic preparation, the most famous of these being Penicillium, from which the antibiotic penicillin was derived