Scientists from Italy have proved for the first time that kidneys grown in a laboratory can function successfully in animals. This is a major achievement on the path to growing and transplanting human organs.
Christodoulos Xinaris of the Institute of Pharmacology Mario Negri and his colleagues grew kidneys from mouse embryonic stem cells. This time consuming process took a long time. As reported in an article in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the researchers first obtained from stem cells an organelle consisting of nephrons - the main elements of the kidneys.
Then the resulting organelles were kept in a chemical broth containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which led to the growth of blood vessels. Then these formations were transplanted into the kidneys of live mice and injected with additional VEGF. This has caused an even more intense growth of blood vessels and the formation of glomeruli, where blood comes in contact with the nephrons for cleaning.
To test the efficiency of the transplanted kidneys, scientists injected animals with albumin proteins marked with a special marker. It turned out that artificially grown kidneys successfully filter proteins from the blood, which means they perform the function of a real organ.
“This is the first time we've ever gotten functioning kidney tissue from single cells,” says Xinaris. - A grown organ can release large molecules from the blood. It gives us determination. We will create similar fabrics for humans."
Researchers are now busy connecting the kidney ducts to the bladder. They are also trying to grow a liver from human cells in a mouse.
It should be noted that such attempts have already been made by scientists from Japan. Moreover, mice were also involved in these works.
An important aspect of new research is the method of obtaining stem cells. Recently, more and more authoritative organizations are inclined to believe that the removal of these materials from human embryos is unethical. In this regard, the special interest of scientists is associated with alternative sources, such as amniotic fluid and bone marrow.
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