Robert A. Good, the March of Dimes, and immunodeficiency: An historical perspective

Abstract

Dr. Robert A. Good and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation maintained a close association for a quarter century in the fight against immunodeficiency diseases. The March of Dimes, whose mission is to prevent birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality, awarded an initial grant to Dr. Good in 1960 to conduct basic clinical and experimental studies on arthritis and collagen diseases. By 1966, this support broadened to include Dr. Good’s research on agammaglobulinemia, ataxia telangiectasia, Chediak-Higashi disease, and Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome. Dr. Good led three historic March of Dimes conferences on immunodeficiency and, in 1968, conducted the first bone marrow transplant to correct an immunological birth defect, memorialized by the March of Dimes in its educational film, Decision (1970). March of Dimes grants to Dr. Good for his research in cellular engineering to genetically correct the defined birth defects approached $1 million for the period 1960–1985.