Current circumstance of organ transplantation in Aomori prefecture and strategy for expansion and enlightenment of organ donation

Abstract

    Department of Advanced Transplant and Regenerative Medicine has been established in Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine by a donation of Oyokyo kidney research institute on October 1, 2010. Transplant law took effect on October 16th, 1997, then 2 organ donations from brain dead cadaver happened in Aomori prefecture. The revised transplant law was enforced on July 17, 2010 and numbers of brain dead donor are currently increasing in Japan. However, total number of donations including non-heart beating donor remain almost the same numbers. Herein we introduce a history of organ transplantation especially of the kidney and the liver in Aomori prefecture and discuss current circumstance and problems on donation and transplantation in Aomori and Japan. Finally, we introduce our current strategy for expansion and enlightenment of organ donation and transplantation in Aomori.