Bioartificial kidney implant successfully transplanted

Written by Alexander Marshall

A bioartificial kidney containing human cells has been successfully transplanted into large mammals without further health complications.

Exciting new data demonstrating the successful implantation of a bioartificial kidney implant was presented during the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2019 conference (5—10 November 2019; DC, USA). The implant, created by a collaboration known as ‘The Kidney Project‘, could enable the move away from regular dialysis treatments and tackle the desperate shortage of organs. Currently, only one fifth of the kidneys required are available for transplantation, so it is hoped that the new device would overcome this deficit as well as remove the cost of lifelong immunosuppression.

Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (CA, USA) constructed the bioreactor with functional human kidney cells and managed to transplant these into large animal subjects without any demonstratable impact on the immune system. Negative immune reactions and the occurrence of blood clots have previously been an obstacle to such transplantations; however, these were absent with the new prototype, potentially passing a major milestone.

         This is the first demonstration that kidney cells can be implanted successfully without immunosuppression in preclinical models and remain healthy enough to perform their function. This is a key milestone for us on the way to clinical trials in humans,” claims Dr Shuvo Roy (University of California San Francisco). “Based on these results, we can now focus on scaling up the bioreactor and combining it with the blood filtration component of the artificial kidney.”

The new device comprises of two key parts: a bioreactor that has human kidney cells encased by a porous silicon membranes— creating a barrier from the host’s immune system while performing complicated kidney functions — and a hemofilter used to remove toxins by passing the blood through minute pores, which when coated in a biologically friendly molecule allowed the filtration of the blood without risking the resultant blood clots often seen in artificial implants.

The researchers now intend to test whether the implanted device can supplement kidney function in animals with kidney failure, with the hope of being able to move the research into the clinic.

Sources: www.asn-online.org/education/kidneyweek/2019/program-abstract.aspx?controlId=3232240; https://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/news/2019/11/implantable-bioartificial-kidney-achieves-preclinical-milestone

 

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FAQ

What are bioartificial organs?

Bioartificial organs are synthetically designed and constructed implants which have a biological component. Many of the functions of the body are complicated and almost impossible to precisely replicate using non-biological materials, so bioartificial organs try to combine the versatility and ability of biological materials — often cells — with the structural capabilities of safe biomaterials.