There are many people in the world who need to replace their own poorly functioning organs. But the queue for donor organs is often so huge that few of these people are waiting for transplantation. The trouble also lies in the fact that there is a risk of rejection by the body of new organs. However, an article published in the popular science journal Nature can give hope to those who have almost lost it.
Scientists from the Massachusetts Central Hospital of Regenerative Medicine are currently looking for a way to increase the supply of donor organs and at the same time completely eliminate the possibility of rejection.
In the laboratory, a group of scientists led by Harold Ott raised an artificial kidney and even implanted it into a laboratory rat. Despite the fact that the laboratory kidney was not as effective as the natural one, it can filter the blood and even produce urine.
People with severe kidney disease need frequent dialysis treatments. Yes, a diseased organ can be replaced with a new and healthy one, but the kidney deficiency in the donor market is too great. Therefore, Harald Ott and his colleagues believe that success in transplanting an artificially created kidney may someday allow the same procedures to be carried out in the treatment of people.
“Imagine that one day someone comes to the hospital and says that he needs a new kidney, and he is transplanted it literally that day. Just because there are no more organ shortages, nor are there any immune problems associated with transplantation, ”says Harald Ott, rejoicing at the first positive results of his group’s experiments.
Nature magazine reports that the first steps in the development of artificial organs in Ott appeared after researchers began to collect kidneys from recently dead (naturally occurring) rats and then take the cells necessary to recreate the new organ. Due to this process, scientists were able to create connective tissues, on the basis of which, thanks to stem cells, it was possible to recreate the organ.
Despite the fact that the kidneys recreated through bioengineering cleanse the blood much more slowly and can only reproduce one third of the volume of urine that natural kidneys reproduce, Harold Ott and his team of scientists are confident that when all the experimental work is completed, their laboratory recreated organs will be able to solve the problem of those who suffer from serious illnesses.
“If we manage to create an organ that will function at least 20 percent of the natural capabilities, then this alone will save people from the need for hemodialysis.”
The article is based on materials .
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