The heterotransplantation of minced human fetal pituitaries into adult thymus-aplastic nude mice is described. Development and growth of such grafts were observed in 16 of 21 recipient mice. Histological examinations of the transplants showed typical adenohypophyseal cells. Neurohypophyseal cells could never be detected. The levels of human growth hormone (hGH) varied between 0.8 and 42.0 ng/ml in the plasma of the hosts (mean value 7.2 ng/ml, by radioimmunoassay).

37 (85%) of 44 human breast cancers are successfully transplanted on thymus-aplastic nu/nu-mice without adjunctive immunotherapy. 16 weeks after transplantation 4 rapidly growing tumours are showing human, female karyotypes. Subsequent investigations proved a good correlation between original tumour and transplant: histology, 3H-thymidine marking index and receptors of androgen and estorgen.

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