Are artificial organs in our future?

Are artificial organs in our future?

Every 13 minutes a new person is added to the kidney transplant list according to the National Kidney Foundation. Many of them are left waiting for a kidney that will never come.

Scientists are joining forces to develop an implantable artificial kidney in hopes of expediting the transplant waiting list for those with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The Kidney Project is developing the artificial kidney to have two parts, a hemofilter and a bioreactor. Together, the artificial organ could replicate the kidney’s natural function of filtering waste from the blood.

Scientists are designing the kidney with a bio-friendly molecule coating that will prevent blood clots from forming post-transplant.

“This is a very interesting and innovative idea. However, there also needs to be a mechanism for volume regulation: just like human kidneys which produce urine to remove excess water from the body, they also sense the blood pressure and volume status. This ensures that less urine is produced during states of dehydration,” says Dr. Deepak Mital, transplant surgeon at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill.

“There are also technical issues related to clotting of the tubes carrying blood to the artificial kidney long-term. These tubes can also get infected, as can the tube connected to the urinary bladder. With the resolution of these issues, the artificial kidney can go a long way to help patients with kidney failure,” says Dr. Mital.

While this artificial kidney will be able to reduce the amount of people on the transplant list, it also aims to replace dialysis costs. Dialysis is not a permanent solution to ESRD and can limit an individual’s life expectancy to up to five years.

Additionally, many people who undergo a traditional kidney transplant cannot afford the immunosuppressive drugs required to keep the transplant viable according to The Kidney Project’s leader. In early trials, antirejection drugs were not needed for the artificial transplant, therefore providing a cheaper transplant option.

Related Posts

Comments

2 Comments

  1. Very interesting and hopeful news for patients on transplant waiting list.

  2. Hamilton, Tasha July 20, 2020 at 6:15 pm · Reply

    very interested ;in finding out if this is something that would work for my father. also could it be done in Morgantown, WV or Pittsburgh, PA.

Subscribe to health enews newsletter

About the Author

Anna Kohler
Anna Kohler

Anna Kohler, health enews contributor, is a public affairs specialist for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. She received her Bachelor of Science in public relations from Illinois State University and has worked in healthcare public relations and content marketing for over five years. In her free time, she enjoys working out, exploring new places with her friends and family, and keeping up with the latest social media trends.