Evening star., 1938-12-10
Carnegie
Continued From First Page.)

to start the cultures. The gland
cells, it has been found. do not die
Immediately with the death of the
individual, although they lose their
functioning ability quite rapidly and
must be removed very soon after
death. In the blood plasma cul-
lures are placed certain growth sub
stances obtained from the embryo,
and which are largely responsible
for the extremely rapid growth
which takes place before birth.
These growth substances need not
necessarily be from embryos of the
same species. Their function, DR..
Gey explains. is to give the gland
cells fresh growth activity, which,
it is hoped. will carry on after they
are placed in the body of the patient.
In the past attempted gland gratis
have almost invariably failed. The
few reported successes have not held
up under investigation. They have
been brought to public attention
chiefly by so-called rejuvenation op-
erations, which allegedly produce
some favorable but very short-lived
changes. The reason, Carnegie en-
bryologists explain, is that the graft
ed tissue cannot possibly get an
adequate blood supply. If it is a
large graft there is no possibility of
building up venous system through
the tissue. The result is that the
cells starve. suffocate and perish.
They begin to die at the center, and
the area of necrosis rapidly spreads
outward. When such CRAFTS are
made in very minute bits they ap-
parently do not harmonic with the
cells of the blood stream which sur
round them and soon lose their
vitality.
Need Frequent Injections.
Because of this patients with
glandular deficiencies have had to
depend on frequent injections of
the synthetic or natural homones
for growth, normal mental func-
tioning, and even life itself in def
ciencies Of secretion from the cortex
OF the adrenal gland. Thus suf-
ferers from diabetes may require
daily injections of insulin to keep
alive. The culture technique re-
ported today promises eventually to
make all this thing of the past.
Actually, DR.. Gey said, it has been
possible to grow successfully in blood
plasma cultures cells of the pitui-
tary gland at the base of the brain,
whose numerous secretions consti-
tute the governor" of the body,
especially through their interactions
with other glands. The pituitary
tissues are among the longest lived
after the death of an individual
and seem to acclimate themselves
well to the plasma culture medium.
These cultures are being used at
present In other experiments, and
no gratis have been attempted.
The CRAFTS ordinarily are made in
the hip of patient, regardless of
the site of the gland whose func-
tions they are supposed to augment.
All that is necessary, says DR.. Guy,
is for their secretions to get into
the blood stream. The hip is espe-
cially favored because an implanta-
ton there does not disable a pa
tient and because the environment
Of loose flesh removes the danger
that the delicate cells will be crushed
or injured by being squeezed be-
tween muscles. The technique, Dr.
Guy stresses, still is imperfect, and
there are many hurdles In the way
before the gratis can be made widely
In general medical practice.
Loss In Transference.
The first of these Is that the cell
cultures augment very slowly and
there Is a considerable loss in trans
ferring them frequently, as is neces-
sary, from one culture to another.
Thus enough tissue cannot be OBJ
tanned to make up for the patients
own deficiency. This is especially
true in the case of thyroid gratis.
The thyroid is normally a large
organ. To supply enough tissue for
a graft large enough to overcome
any notable deficiency would be, as
one Carnegie embryologist expressed
it, "a major project for the w. p. A."
Little progress has yet been made
in augmenting the growth rate.
This objection does not obtain, it
was explained. with CRAFTS of para
thyroid or adrenal cortex tissue. The
glands are barely the
size of peas. They secrete hor-
none which in some way controls
the calcium metabolism Of the body.
When this Is deficient tetanic con.