Thomas and colleagues reported the first bone marrow transplants. They described the treatment of six patients with cancers and/leukemia and one patient with multiple myeloma. Three of the patients died, two responded and survived to hospital discharge, and one was still alive on day 53 when the paper was submitted. The paper was intended to describe the procedure, its side effects, its complications and to document the various lab parameters monitored on each patient, and their probable significance and utility when used to monitor the patient post irradiation, chemotherapy and marrow infusion. Order of authorship in the original publication: Thomas, Locte, Lu, et al.

In 1990 Thomas shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Joseph E. Murray "for their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation in the treatment of human disease."

(Thanks to Juan Weiss for this reference and its interpretation.)