The UKRO Story
UKRO was founded because of one simple question.
How can so little be known about kidney disease—a problem that affects 1 in 7 adults in the U.S.?
UKRO – University Kidney Research Organization
Together We Build a Kidney
UKRO was founded because of one simple question.
How can so little be known about kidney disease—a problem that affects 1 in 7 adults in the U.S.?
Team leader Dr. Zhongwei Li has recently been recognized with a prestigious NIH Directors’ New Innovator award.
His synthetic kidney begins with cells nurtured in a Petri dish, eventually growing into a full-fledged kidney within the patient’s body.
In just 5 to 7 years, we anticipate the synthetic kidney will be undergoing FDA trials and making its debut in human treatments. Already, mini cystic kidneys developed for this project are being utilized to model polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and perform drug screening to identify novel therapies.
Watch our videos below to learn more about the synthetic kidney and UKRO.
Thank you to all who joined us for our first UKRO USC student/faculty mixer at Pitfire Pizza Pasadena! Undergraduate students from USC’s Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program had the opportunity to network with faculty from the Keck School of Medicine, learning about career opportunities and novel research to combat kidney diseases. The KDSAP students provide kidney screenings and health education for underserved communities in Los Angeles. We are so inspired by their work and their passion for kidney disease awareness and prevention.