Scientists Grow Kidneys in Lab

Scottish scientists have succeeded in growing kidneys in a laboratory that could help tackle the shortage of organs for transplant.

The development could help tackle the tragic shortage of organs for transplant, reports the Scotsman.

About Transplantation
Since the early times, the novel idea of transplanting tissues and other body parts from one organism to the other has captured the imagination of successive generations.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh created the organs by manipulating stem cells - early cells that are the building blocks of the body - to form the structure of a kidney.

They then managed to create kidneys that measure just half a centimetre in length - the same size as a kidney in a foetus, which they hope will be able to grow to maturity after being transplanted into patients' bodies.

The kidneys were grown in the laboratory using a combination of cells from amniotic fluid - the fluid that surrounds all babies in the womb - and animal foetal cells.

Anatomy of Urinary System
Animation & slides showing anatomy of urinary system and the role of kidneys in getting rid of the waste products and excess fluid from our body to keep us healthy.

The technique holds out the prospect of scientists being able to collect amniotic fluid at birth to be stored until needed at a later date if a patient develops kidney disease.

The patient's own amniotic fluid cells can then be used as the base for creating a new kidney.

Quiz on Kidney
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, and are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine.

Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood every minute, removing wastes and extra water to make urine. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through two thin tubes of muscle called ureters, one on each side of your bladder. The bladder stores urine. The kidneys, ureters, and bladder are partof the urinary tract.

Acute Renal (Kidney) Failure- Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Complications
Acute renal failure is the sudden cessation of the functioning of kidneys, that can be due to reduced renal blood flow, damage to renal tissues.

kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. Kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals-such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium-in your blood ().

Without this balance, nerves, muscles, and other tissues in the body may not work normally.

Kidneys also make hormones that help

Control your blood pressure
Make red blood cells
Keep your bones strong and healthy

Using the patient's own cells will, in theory, also end the problem of rejection that arises when an organ from a deceased donor is used.

The Edinburgh researchers are at the forefront of a global attempt to use stem cells culled from amniotic fluid to create new human kidneys.

The study will be presented at the Edinburgh Science Festival later this month.

Source-ANI