‘Bank’ May Exchange Old Hearts For New

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28268, 4 May 1957, Page 11

‘Bank’ May Exchange Old Hearts For New

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 2. A distinguished biologist believes that the day is coming when a person with a bad heart will go to the “bank” and get a new one, just as a defective aye now can be replaced. The biologist, Dr. Ralph W. Gerard, of the University of Michigan, also foresees the time when “tailor-made molecules” will be available for controlling Sex and growth. Addressing a scientific gathering at the National Science Foundation. Dr. Gerard noted that blood, bone and eye banks already had proved practical. He predicted that kidney, liver and heart banks would follow, although some of the technical problems were great. The big difficulty would be to keep the ; substitute organs alive in the bank, but it could be done.

Dr. Gerard predicted a growing role for “tailor-made molecules”— synthetic organic drugs produced in the laboratory for a multitude of uses. Organic drugs already are widely used, as hormonal, antibiotic and tranquillising preparations. Of the 10 drugs most highly prescribed today three were tranquillisers which were unknown three years ago. He made no attempt to list all the possible uses of tailor-made molecules, but he said they might include everything from of the nervous system to control of conception, sex of offspring and growth. A person qualified to administer them would go to the laboratory, Dr. Gerard suggested, and say: “Here, make me some of this.” The laboratory then would build a complex molecule designed specifically to accomplish the desired effect. I