Dr. Rainer Storb is a pioneering hematologist who has fundamentally transformed the field of blood and marrow transplantation over his illustrious career. Born in Essen, Germany in 1935, he earned his medical degree from the University of Freiburg in 1960 before completing clinical training in Essen and Munich. In 1965, he traveled to Seattle on a Fulbright Fellowship to join the Division of Hematology at the University of Washington, working alongside Nobel Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas. As one of the founding members of the Seattle marrow transplantation program, Dr. Storb helped establish what would become a standard treatment for numerous blood disorders. He currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus in both the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the Departments of Medicine and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Dr. Storb's groundbreaking research established allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation as a curative treatment for leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other blood disorders, transforming it from an experimental approach to standard clinical practice. His discoveries regarding the pivotal role of grafted donor immune cells in eliminating malignant cells represented one of the earliest forms of immunotherapy and laid the foundation for modern cancer immunotherapies. He developed the non-myeloablative conditioning regimen, known as the mini-transplant, which significantly reduced transplant toxicity and expanded access to elderly and medically frail patients who previously were ineligible for this potentially curative treatment. Dr. Storb's research protocol for preventing graft-versus-host disease became the global gold standard, implemented at transplantation centers worldwide to improve patient outcomes. His six decades of research have directly contributed to saving countless lives through more effective and less toxic transplant approaches.
In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, Dr. Storb received the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology from the American Society of Hematology, honoring his more than 60 years of groundbreaking achievements in the field. His work has not only saved lives but has also shaped the entire discipline of transplantation biology, mentoring generations of researchers who continue to advance his pioneering approaches. Even in his later years, Dr. Storb remained actively engaged in research, collaborating with colleagues like Dr. Brenda Sandmaier to develop targeted radiotherapy approaches that further reduce relapse risk in hematologic malignancies. After turning 90 years old, he recently retired following nearly six decades of continuous contributions to medical science, leaving behind a legacy that has fundamentally reshaped how physicians treat blood cancers and bone marrow disorders. Dr. Storb's innovative spirit and commitment to translational research continues to inspire new generations of hematologists and oncologists worldwide.
