Kidneys "from a test tube": one step closer

Italian researchers from the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Bergamo, working under the guidance of Dr. Christodoulos Xinaris, have taken an important step towards creating functional kidneys in laboratory conditions.

In earlier works, the authors used suspensions of embryonic kidney cells to grow tissue structures resembling immature kidneys in shape. However, these structures could not perform kidney functions such as blood filtration. The reason for this functional inferiority was the lack of blood vessels necessary for this.

As part of the latest study, they also grew tissue structures from a suspension of rat kidney cells, which were subsequently placed in a composition containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the growth of blood vessels.

The resulting organoids were implanted into rats, below their own kidneys. After that, the animals were injected with VEGF for three weeks. Subsequent analysis showed that the implanted organoids continued to mature in the animal body and acquired the ability to perform functions such as blood filtration and molecule reabsorption.

A renal organoid implanted into the rat's body (photo by Dr. Christodoulos Xinaris).

The researchers are very inspired by the results obtained, since, given the acute shortage of donor organs for transplantation, the ability to grow organelles from the patient's own cells that can at least temporarily replace non-functional kidneys can save many lives.

Article by Christodoulos Xinaris et al. In Vivo Maturation of Functional Renal Organoids Formed from Embryonic Cell Suspensions is published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Gizmag materials:
Scientists come a step closer to growing replacement kidneys.

30.10.2012