Everyone knows that an organ transplant can save a life, but did you know that organs and tissues donated for research and education can affect millions of lives?

Unfortunately, not all organs are suitable for transplantation. But non-transplantable organs and other tissues from donors help researchers every day find new and innovative ways to treat and cure disease. Researchers today study disease with the help of donated human organs that do not meet the criteria for transplantation. Donated organs in research affect untold numbers of patients who can benefit from the medical advances that result from their use in ongoing studies. In addition to major organs, cadaveric specimens such as bone, muscle, tendons, and skin are needed for medical research, pharmaceutical studies, and in medical education and training programs.



How Donor Organs and Tissues Help Research
Research centers throughout the United States need donated organs and tissues on an ongoing basis for studies that could lead to breakthroughs in treatment for many of humankind's most devastating illnesses including: