Laboratory Equipment
Lauren Scrudato, Associate Editor
9-22-15
According to the National Kidney Foundation, over 100,000 Americans are currently in need of kidney transplants, with most sitting on the waitlist for an average of 3.5 years before finding a match.
After a few rounds of trial and error, researchers in Japan have developed lab-grown kidneys that successfully function in animals.
The kidneys were generated from stem cells and were first tested in pigs. Although the first prototypes were capable of producing urine, they lacked an excretion pathway, causing urine to build up and the kidney to swell. To solve this issue, Takashi Yokoo and fellow Jikei University School of Medicine researchers added a drainage pathway and compatible bladder to connect everything to the animal’s existing bladder – a technique they call “Stepwise peristaltic ureter” or SWPU system.
“The SWPU system may resolve two important problems in the generation of kidneys from stem cells: construction of a urine excretion pathway and continued growth of the newly generated kidney,” wrote the researchers.
The method worked in rats, even when checked eight weeks later, so the researchers went back to test on pigs, which also proved promising with the new method. The next step is to conduct much more extensive research to see the long term effects these stem cell-generated kidneys have on the body.
Although still years from human trials, this first step will provide insight into how the mechanics can be adjusted to possibly work in humans.
Lauren Scrudato, Associate Editor
9-22-15
According to the National Kidney Foundation, over 100,000 Americans are currently in need of kidney transplants, with most sitting on the waitlist for an average of 3.5 years before finding a match.
After a few rounds of trial and error, researchers in Japan have developed lab-grown kidneys that successfully function in animals.
The kidneys were generated from stem cells and were first tested in pigs. Although the first prototypes were capable of producing urine, they lacked an excretion pathway, causing urine to build up and the kidney to swell. To solve this issue, Takashi Yokoo and fellow Jikei University School of Medicine researchers added a drainage pathway and compatible bladder to connect everything to the animal’s existing bladder – a technique they call “Stepwise peristaltic ureter” or SWPU system.
“The SWPU system may resolve two important problems in the generation of kidneys from stem cells: construction of a urine excretion pathway and continued growth of the newly generated kidney,” wrote the researchers.
The method worked in rats, even when checked eight weeks later, so the researchers went back to test on pigs, which also proved promising with the new method. The next step is to conduct much more extensive research to see the long term effects these stem cell-generated kidneys have on the body.
Although still years from human trials, this first step will provide insight into how the mechanics can be adjusted to possibly work in humans.