Transplant

The eighth edition of La Marató was dedicated to organ transplant, a surgical procedure that is performed in patients suffering from progressive and irreversible function of vital organs.

By that time the surgical techniques for transplant were already highly developed and it was possible to successfully transplant organs such as kidneys, hearts, lungs or pancreas, and tissue such as the cornea, bone marrow, arteries and veins, skin and tendons. At the same time, financial resources to make headway in researching new, better techniques were scarce and there were still many scientific and medical challenges to overcome: reducing the shortage of organs with new alternatives, advancing in the techniques of preserving organs and resolving the problems of intolerance and rejection a these new organs, among others.

The 58 research projects funded from the more than 4.6 million euros raised by La Marató in 1999 helped to advance research the research and meet these challenges.