Lab-grown kidneys work in animals

[n2doc]

Scientists say they are a step closer to growing fully functioning replacement kidneys, after promising results in animals.

When transplanted into pigs and rats, the kidneys worked, passing urine just like natural ones.

Getting the urine out has been a problem for earlier prototypes, causing them to balloon under the pressure.

The Japanese team got round this by growing extra plumbing for the kidney to stop the backlog, PNAS reports.

Although still years off human trials, the research helps guide the way towards the end goal of making organs for people, say experts.

more

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34312125

[femmocrat]

1. This is promising, but unfortunately will take a long time to come to fruition.

There are over 80,000 people waiting for kidneys in the US. There are artificial kidneys in development, but this research has been going on for over a decade.

Thanks for this report, n2doc.