3 replies to this topic

[alc]

http://news.harvard....ney-structures/

[Danail Bulgaria]

Thats nice, only that we need the entire kidney.

[Ark]

Interesting, thanks for the link.

[alc]

Thats nice, only that we need the entire kidney.

 

HSCI is looking for a path to re-boot the damaged kidneys form inside, while people on dialysis.

That is their short term plan and it is very good strategy as they will address the needs of those who suffer from CKD, while allowing HSCI to work on the future more efficient technologies. Next, most likely they will be able to rebuild an entire kidney.

 

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on a side note to see what other teams like Prof. Melissa Little at University of Queensland in Australia is doing, you can see the update

from Organovo partnering with UniQuest that was announced this week:

 

http://ir.organovo.c...nt/default.aspx

 

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As for HSCI kidney program see here:

 

http://hsci.harvard....idney-disease-0

 

"Short-Term Plan

Mesenchymal stem cells are the body’s natural defense against kidney damage. Found in the bone marrow, these stem cells protect the kidneys from injury and accelerate healing. Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists have identified protein candidates secreted from mesenchymal stem cells that may be administered independently to aid in kidney repair. In another approach, mesenchymal stem cells are being incorporated into miniature dialysis machines that expose the patient’s blood to these cells, allowing pro-repair proteins to be delivered directly to the kidneys.

Medium-Term Plan

Having identified the kidney cell types that are most susceptible to injury during diabetes, the HSCI Kidney Group now plans to target them with new drugs. In order to screen for potential drug targets, researchers must first identify genes that change in diabetic kidney cells, and then identify compounds that slow or stop the destructive gene expression. A drug for disease-related kidney damage has the potential to eliminate the need for dialysis.

Long-Term Plan

The project with the greatest potential impact on diabetes patients is HSCI’s large, multi-disciplinary effort to create an artificial kidney using stem cells and nanotechnology.

The functional unit of the kidney is a nephron – a long tube that filters blood at one end and then turns that filtrate into urine. HSCI scientists plan to isolate kidney stem cells, mix them with soluble gels, and mold them into the architecture of a nephron. Scientists have already successfully created an artificial rat kidney that produces urine once transplanted into the animal, making artificial organ transplantation a highly possible reality for humans."

 

 

 

So seems like now they are able to move on to step one and improve the kidney function for people on dialysis.

 

To learn more about entire Harvard Stem Cell Institute program see here:

 

http://hsci.harvard.edu/