Bioengineered kidney
A new artificial kidney will allow you to refuse dialysis
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Patients with renal insufficiency need to purify the blood of toxic products extrarenally, during dialysis – an invasive and risky procedure. American scientists have successfully tested a prototype of an implanted artificial kidney that does not require immunosuppressants or anticoagulants.
The kidney performs several important functions in the body, the most important of which is the purification of blood from metabolic products, as well as the regulation of blood pressure, the concentration of electrolytes and other fluids in the body. Therefore, when this organ begins to fail, it is difficult to duplicate all these processes. Most often, patients are prescribed dialysis. In the long term, an organ transplant is required, which makes life easier, but carries with it the risk of side effects from taking drugs for immunosuppression.
At the University of California, San Francisco, a team of scientists has developed an artificial kidney that performs the basic functions of a real one, but does not require immunosuppressants or anticoagulants. The device consists of two main parts: the hemofilter is made of a silicon semiconductor membrane that removes metabolic products from the blood. The bioreactor consists of modified renal tubule cells and regulates water volume, electrolyte balance and other metabolic functions. The membrane protects these cells from attacks by the immune system, according to the press release of The Kidney Project successfully tests a prototype bioartificial kidney - VM.
The device connects to two large arteries – one supplies blood for filtration, the other transports it back into the body – as well as to the bladder, where metabolic products enter.
Previous tests have shown that each of these parts copes well with its task independently of the other, but together they were tested for the first time. An artificial kidney works effectively under conditions of blood pressure, without needing an additional source of energy. The renal tubule cells survived the test and performed their function until the end of the test.
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