There are some 10000 folks dying- while on the list to receive a kidney transplant- every year. But, there are still no stem cell produced kidneys. Which is why some Wake Forest researchers are seeking ways to skirt the political bugaboos regarding stem cells – and still trying to increase the availability of kidneys for those in need.
First, you should know that there are problems with having folks donate kidneys. If you live in the Midwest, the odds are pretty good you can get a kidney donation- at least as compared to those who live in New York state. And, that’s the problem- where the need is greatest is not where the kidneys are being donated. Moreover, not all the kidneys that are donated turn out to be as suitable as we hoped. Which brings us back to what the Wake Forest researchers are doing. Extending the research that is being done at Mass General, about which I reported before.
NOTE: The above picture may not always appear (some quirk of the link to Nature, I presume) . But,if you click on it, you will see the results of the research.
You see, there are about 2500 kidneys a year that are donated that are deemed unsuitable for transplantation. These are normally discarded- never to save the life of a human. So, Drs. G. Orlando, A Peloso, R Katari, S. Soker, and R.J. Strata of Wake Forest, along with M. Salvatori (Oxford Hospital, London) and J. P. Larut (University Hospital, Brussels) have been doing some “adaptation”. They wash the kidneys in a detergent(with nucleases and antimicrobials) solution; this removes the cells from the organ, leaving just the scaffolding, upon which a patient’s kidney stem cells are then used to “repopulate” the cellular structure of the kidney. As long as the key structural component of the kidney – the glomerulus- remains.
It’s within the glomerulus that the blood filtration is actually effected. Moreover, the blood pressure within the glomeruli vessels is considerably higher than the rest of the blood vessels in the body- reaching 2 to 3 times that of our normal blood pressure.
To determine the suitability of the scaffolding, the vessel size and pressure capabilities of the blood vessels within the glomerulus was determined. In addition, the research needed to discern if there would be sufficient growth factors remaining in the kidney after the detergent wash. And, they found the washed scaffolding met their needs. The key advantage is that anti-rejection medication will not be required. After all, the cells are the patient’s.
Since true stem cells still can’t be used, the next phase involved pigs. Where the stem cells and amniotic fluid from such organisms could be used. The results demonstrated that the cells proliferated on the scaffolding- and they not only grew, but were functional.
Now, for us to get the politics out of the system. So those who need the transplants can benefit.
