Neo-Kidney Augment Phase 1 Trials Under Way


Phase 1 trials of the Neo-Kidney Augment, a novel, personalized treatment designed to enhance or replace kidney function in patients nearing renal failure, are under way in Sweden and the United States. Developed by regenerative medicine company Tengion, the Neo-Kidney Augment uses tubular epithelial cells taken from a biopsy of a patient’s diseased kidney. Over … Continue reading Neo-Kidney Augment Phase 1 Trials Under Way

Milestone Reached in Work to Build Replacement Kidneys in the Lab


Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are advancing the field of regenerative medicine with a new method to keep blood vessels open and viable in lab-built kidneys. Experimenting with scaffolds created from pig kidneys, the scientists coated the scaffold vessels with endothelial cells, using an antibody to facilitate cell adhesion. The treated vessels supported … Continue reading Milestone Reached in Work to Build Replacement Kidneys in the Lab

Exciting Research Partnerships at USC May Unlock Cures for Kidney Disease


Exciting research partnerships at USC may unlock new treatments and cures for kidney disease. A recent USC article highlights the promising stem cell work of Andrew McMahon, Ph.D., director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, leader of the USC Stem Cell Initiative, and member of … Continue reading Exciting Research Partnerships at USC May Unlock Cures for Kidney Disease

Cellular Signaling Responsible for Kidney Regeneration Discovered


With their exciting discovery of the cellular signaling responsible for renal regeneration, scientists from Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, and Stanford University aim to change the way researchers think about kidneys. Using a special mouse model to track cell growth in vivo, they made surprising discoveries about how growth really happens in the kidney. … Continue reading Cellular Signaling Responsible for Kidney Regeneration Discovered

Gene Linked to Pediatric Kidney Cancer May Be Key to Kidney Regeneration


Researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital have made several important discoveries about the gene Lin28 and its link to Wilms tumor, a pediatric renal cancer marked by growths that appear similar to immature kidneys. Experts believe the tumors are caused by unchecked kidney development, which would normally be complete before birth. Lin28 is important to the development … Continue reading Gene Linked to Pediatric Kidney Cancer May Be Key to Kidney Regeneration

Scientists Bioengineer Functioning Rat Kidneys


Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have succeeded in growing bioengineered kidneys in the lab and implanting them into rats. To create the functioning organs, they began by using a detergent solution to strip rat kidneys of their existing cells. This resulted in a collagen scaffold, where a variety of cell types were delicately introduced to … Continue reading Scientists Bioengineer Functioning Rat Kidneys