What have we learnt from experimental renal transplantation?

The first series of kidney transplantation performed in the experimental setting over a century ago and its subsequent translation into humans has initiated a whole new facet of medical practice that has benefited a large number of patients with end-stage kidney and other organ failure. It has proven to be an indispensable tool in our quest to advance our skills and knowledge and continues to play a role in the development of better treatment protocols. Here, we discuss the advantages and drawbacks of this technique and use key examples to illustrate how it has been exploited to achieve our goals.