In 2017, the Vito M. Campese, M.D./UKRO Kidney Research Center of USC welcomed Dr. Zhongwei Li, a trailblazing stem cell biologist working on a bold mission: to create a fully transplantable synthetic kidney from human stem cells.
Dr. Li’s team was the first in the world to generate high quality kidney-forming cells quickly. They have since developed mini kidneys that self-organize in the lab and are already being used to test treatments for genetic disorders, including polycystic kidney disease. With further funding, he aims to transplant a synthetic kidney into large animals within five years, a major step toward ending dialysis dependency.
The Vision: Synthetic kidneys that restore function, keep patients off dialysis and eventually eliminate the need for transplants.
The Team: Alongside Dr. Li are global leaders in biology, physiology, imaging and nanoengineering, including Dr. Andrew McMahon (Caltech), Dr. Janos Peti-Peterdi (USC) and Dr. Shaochen Chen (UCSD), who are working to transform kidney care as we know it.
Watch our video to learn more.