Researchers Tame the Inflammatory Response in Kidney Dialysis


Researchers from Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennyslvania have found a way to temporarily suppress the damaging inflammatory response brought on by dialysis. In earlier studies, the research team showed that polymer-based dialysis filters activate the body’s complement system, a part of the immune system made up of circulating proteins that help antibodies … Continue reading Researchers Tame the Inflammatory Response in Kidney Dialysis

Bioengineered Vein Implanted into First U.S. Dialysis Patient


In a pioneering breakthrough, Duke University Hospital surgeons have implanted a bioengineered vein into a 62-year-old kidney dialysis patient as part of a U.S. clinical trial. The vein, created by Duke and bioengineering company Humacyte, was grown on a biodegradable mesh scaffold using human cells. Nutrients were pumped rhythmically into the vessel-shaped scaffold to simulate … Continue reading Bioengineered Vein Implanted into First U.S. Dialysis Patient

Dramatic Decrease in Risk of Death for Kids on Dialysis


Transplant is the preferred treatment for children with kidney disease, but 75% of them end up on dialysis. Some are waiting to grow big enough to accept an adult kidney and some are simply waiting for a donor. According to a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Canada, … Continue reading Dramatic Decrease in Risk of Death for Kids on Dialysis

UKRO and Rep Schiff Discuss Protecting NIH Funding from Sequestration Cuts


Yesterday UKRO President, Ken Kleinberg, Vito Campese, M.D., Chief of Nephrology of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and kidney researcher Alicia McDonough, Ph.D., met with Representative Adam Schiff to ask for his help in preventing sequestration cuts that would severely limit NIH funding for research. Speaking on behalf of UKRO and the USC/UKRO … Continue reading UKRO and Rep Schiff Discuss Protecting NIH Funding from Sequestration Cuts

Hemodiafiltration Could Cut Mortality Risk for Kidney Patients by 30%


A retrospective study conducted by University of Barcelona researchers suggests that on-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) cuts mortality risk for kidney patients by 30%, compared to conventional hemodialysis. With OL-HDF, more water and toxins are removed from the blood. Though two previous randomized trials had found no benefit with OL-HDF, the scientists noted that the earlier studies … Continue reading Hemodiafiltration Could Cut Mortality Risk for Kidney Patients by 30%

Fish Oil May Protect Dialysis Patients from Sudden Cardiac Death


Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for sudden cardiac death, and they are at the highest risk during the first year of treatment. Given those grim facts, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine set out to discover whether heart-protective Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, walnuts and other foods, could be beneficial … Continue reading Fish Oil May Protect Dialysis Patients from Sudden Cardiac Death