The English clergyman Stephen Gosson published the romantic story Ephemerides in 1579 and in it referred to people who were engaged in a hopeless task: "Seeking to make a silk purse of a Sows ear." He would likely role over in his grave because author James Chapman reported in the Daily Mail on March 13th, 2014, that "Scientists have created the world's first test-tube organs in a breakthrough that could revolutionize transplant medicine." Researchers announced that they have used "cloning technology" to transform skin cells behind a cow's ear into a functioning kidney. They believe that the same technique will work in humans within the next few years.
While this is welcomed news for many in the Chronic Kidney Disease community, what is most important is the progress which researchers are making, and continually highlights, and patients are beginning to truly realize. Whether it is the Wearable Kidney, Implantable Artificial Kidney, Regenerative Kidney Technology, 3D Printed Kidneys, or Today's breakthrough of Test-Tube Grown Kidneys; frequently there is news of hope for Chronic Kidney Disease patients to no longer rely on Dialysis or wait on an ever growing Kidney Transplant List.
Dr. Robert Lanza, Lead Researcher at Ocata Therapeutics Inc. (formally named Advanced Cell Technology) said about the finding, "It is a big step forward. If, as seems likely, this applies to humans too it will be an incredibly important breakthrough." With over 500,000 people on Dialysis and 12 people dying each day while waiting for a Life-Saving Kidney Transplant, this is in fact a very important and much needed breakthrough as well; wouldn't you agree?
Without getting into a great amount of detail, you should know that after transplanting the developed kidneys into the trial cow, "they were working just as we had hoped," Dr Lanza described. "We can create a functioning organ by growing on scaffolds. There were absolutely no problems with rejection." Yes, cloned kidneys would not be rejected because the Kidney Cells are genetically identical. This would eliminate the need for potentially harmful immunosuppressant medications.
Source: Kbuzz, HWN Africa.
: 2016-10-21 18:51:42 | : 1571