Our Scientific Impact

1960s

1961 — A New Era Begins

The Blond McIndoe Research Foundation opens.

1964 — The World’s First Specialist Burns Centre

The need arises for a modern burns centre at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

Neville and Elaine Blond and their family donate the entire building, enabling the opening of the McIndoe Memorial Research Unit and the world’s first dedicated Burns Centre.

Key advancements of the 1960s:

Ground-breaking research into the immunological role of the thymus gland.
Establishment of the National Eye Bank of preserved corneal grafts.
UK pioneering of microvascular anastomosis (joining tiny blood vessels).

Major surgical milestones:

First successful toe-to-hand transfer for a missing thumb.
Successful finger reattachment in a two-year-old patient, restoring blood supply.

1970s

1970s — Transforming Reconstructive Surgery

Breakthroughs include:

Use of infra-red cameras to assess burn depth.
First successful hand reattachment surgery.
Development of tissue matching grafts (using cadaver donor grafts) to improve corneal graft success.
Introduction of tissue typing in corneal grafting, restoring sight for many patients.

Blond McIndoe becomes a leader in organ transplantation immunology and tissue typing, contributing to the first heart transplant.

Additional achievements:

Establishment of a unique Freeze Dry Skin Bank, enabling mass collection of dried skin.
Identification of an antigen linked to Multiple Sclerosis, aiding research into disease mechanisms.

1980s

1980s — Advances in Limb Reattachment & Graft Science

The decade sees:

Continued progress in reattaching limbs, including hands and arms.
Important contributions to understanding graft rejection, influencing the use of donated skin grafts.

1990s

1990s — Breakthroughs in Nerve Regeneration & Tissue Engineering

Key achievements:

New discoveries in nerve biology lead to growth factors for reinnervating peripheral organs.
Culturing of Schwann cells for transplantation to support nerve regeneration.
Pioneering use of synthetic conduits to bridge nerve gaps.

World-first innovations:

First example of cultured skin cells used with the artificial skin Integra.
Cultured skin cells used to treat non-healing wounds in mastoid cavities of the ear.
World's first knee operation using cultured cartilage cells with cartilage grafts.
Sight restored using cultured corneal epithelial cells grafted onto damaged corneas.

2000s

2000s — Translational Science in the Clinic

Highlights:

Clinical study into sprayed cultured keratinocytes for large full-thickness burns.
Use of cultured keratinocytes in a study on children’s scalds.
Construction of the GMP suite, enabling safe culturing of multiple cell types for clinical use.
First use of DNA fingerprinting to track transplanted cultured cells in the cornea.
Ongoing evaluation of novel technologies to improve wound repair, especially for burns and skin regeneration.

2017 — A New Strategy for Greater Impact

The Board of Trustees develops a plan to maximise the Foundation’s effectiveness.

The scientific portfolio is placed within larger research institutes, and the Foundation moves forward as a fundraising and grant-making organisation, in partnership with The Royal College of Surgeons of England.