From MIT Technology Review, by Mike Orcutt
Using 3-D printing, scientists have created tiny, intricate tubes that work like key components of real kidneys.
Many more steps are needed before they can make artificial kidney replacement parts, but the result is important because it means that for the first time researchers have used 3-D printing to make kidney tissue that functions like the real thing. The inventors say that in the near term the artificial tissue could be used outside the body to assist in people who have lost renal function, and for testing the toxicity of new drugs.
Researchers have been trying to create artificial kidneys for more than 20 years, but re-creating a kidney’s complex three-dimensional structure and cellular architecture, which are crucial to its function, is extremely challenging. Still, the need is urgent. Roughly 10 percent of the world’spopulation suffers from chronic kidney disease. To stay alive, millions depend on dialysis, a time-consuming and physically demanding procedure in which blood is removed, run through a filtering device, and returned to the body. But dialysis machines aren’t nearly as effective as kidneys. And while roughly 16,000 people receive kidney transplants each year in the U.S., another 100,000 are waiting for donations.
The new 3-D-printed kidney tissue is the work of the Jennifer Lewis labat Harvard, which has developed an innovative approach to “bioprinting” tissue. The technique allows researchers to print complex structures found in different types of human tissue, as well as vascular systems necessary to keep such tissue alive. The printing method uses multiple kinds of gel-like “inks.” After printing, the researchers remove one of the inks, leaving hollow tubes. Then they add cells, which mature into tissue.
Lab tests show that the engineered tissue demonstrates real kidney function to a degree that has not been achieved before, say the researchers. In particular, they were able to make the proximal tubule, a component of a nephron, the basic functional unit of the kidney. Nephrons filter the blood, keeping the useful stuff for the body and excreting the rest. If scientists could build a nephron, in theory they could build kidneys, but that will require developing several additional interconnected parts, which will probably take many more years.
Still, this particular part of the nephron plays a key role in the process of reabsorbing nutrients, so the printed tissue could be medically useful, says Lewis, a materials scientist and professor of biologically inspired engineering at Harvard. For one thing, such tissue could be used to test potential drugs; some 20 percent of drugs in late-stage human tests fail because they are toxic to the kidneys. The artificial tissue could also be used in a device outside the body to assist in kidney dialysis. Developing such a device will take a few years at least, she says.
Gift of Life
From Pocono Record, Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA, by Stacy M. Brown
Shawnee-on-Delaware business owner successfully donates kidney to husband
When the vows of matrimony are exchanged and the pledge of caring for each other in sickness and in health have been duly noted, many couples insist they’d always do whatever they could for their spouse.
Local business owner Fran Huber put that sentiment into action when she donated a kidney to her husband, Scott Huber, during a successful transplant on his birthday last month at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
“My husband has a family history of polycystic kidney disease so he was under his physician's care and last year was informed that he would have to seek out treatment where there were several options of dialysis,” Huber said. “My husband was not a proponent of having dialysis, it’s such a taxing procedure. So, we went through several classes of educating ourselves about dialysis.”
Scott Huber, 48, already had an idea what would happen if he opted for dialysis because his father had undergone dialysis years earlier.
The couple first realized that Fran Huber could provide a kidney match after she began a self-assessment that revealed very little health problems or concerns, factors that doctors immediately consider when examining a potential donor.
“There’s a lot of things that could kick you out of the door to being a donor and fortunately I’m very healthy and I’ve not been on any medication for anything and I’m very active,” said Fran Huber, who owns Mauka Nalu Pilates & Stand Up Paddleboarding, which specializes in outdoor lessons and fitness classes.
Without hesitation Huber decided she’d provide the kidney her husband needed to avoid not just dialysis but health problems that could lead to his death.
“I think we have such a wonderful support system of family, friends and those whom we work with,” Huber said.
“Before this procedure, I did a fundraiser of prayers where I asked everyone to pray for us and our surgical team at Lehigh Valley Hospital was so good and we trusted them so much that we were very confident,” she said.
Fran and Scott Huber were married 22 years ago. She was living in Hawaii while he lived in California working in the marine construction business.
“He was looking for paradise and I was looking for the big city,” Fran Huber said.
“Somehow, we stumbled upon each other. We moved to the East Coast for his work and we’ve been here for over 20 years, raising our family — we have two children — and buying our home,” she said.
Scott Huber has always been a generous and giving individual with a smile that radiates with energy, Fran Huber said.
“What he gives to people is so much positivity and people are just attracted to him,” she said.
“He’s heaven sent to me and everyone knows that.”
She said they’ve grown very close to many in the area and Huber also points out that she’s now lived in the Poconos for as long as she lived in Hawaii.
“My husband and I are best friends, we do a lot of things together and my children see that and sometimes they even complain that we’re always together,” Huber said.
So, it was to no one’s surprise when Fran Huber checked into the hospital to donate a kidney to her beloved Scott.
That the transplant occurred on Scott Huber’s birthday, Sept. 21, was something else that proved to be appropriate, his wife said. [Read more]
When the vows of matrimony are exchanged and the pledge of caring for each other in sickness and in health have been duly noted, many couples insist they’d always do whatever they could for their spouse.
Local business owner Fran Huber put that sentiment into action when she donated a kidney to her husband, Scott Huber, during a successful transplant on his birthday last month at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
“My husband has a family history of polycystic kidney disease so he was under his physician's care and last year was informed that he would have to seek out treatment where there were several options of dialysis,” Huber said. “My husband was not a proponent of having dialysis, it’s such a taxing procedure. So, we went through several classes of educating ourselves about dialysis.”
Scott Huber, 48, already had an idea what would happen if he opted for dialysis because his father had undergone dialysis years earlier.
The couple first realized that Fran Huber could provide a kidney match after she began a self-assessment that revealed very little health problems or concerns, factors that doctors immediately consider when examining a potential donor.
“There’s a lot of things that could kick you out of the door to being a donor and fortunately I’m very healthy and I’ve not been on any medication for anything and I’m very active,” said Fran Huber, who owns Mauka Nalu Pilates & Stand Up Paddleboarding, which specializes in outdoor lessons and fitness classes.
Without hesitation Huber decided she’d provide the kidney her husband needed to avoid not just dialysis but health problems that could lead to his death.
“I think we have such a wonderful support system of family, friends and those whom we work with,” Huber said.
“Before this procedure, I did a fundraiser of prayers where I asked everyone to pray for us and our surgical team at Lehigh Valley Hospital was so good and we trusted them so much that we were very confident,” she said.
Fran and Scott Huber were married 22 years ago. She was living in Hawaii while he lived in California working in the marine construction business.
“He was looking for paradise and I was looking for the big city,” Fran Huber said.
“Somehow, we stumbled upon each other. We moved to the East Coast for his work and we’ve been here for over 20 years, raising our family — we have two children — and buying our home,” she said.
Scott Huber has always been a generous and giving individual with a smile that radiates with energy, Fran Huber said.
“What he gives to people is so much positivity and people are just attracted to him,” she said.
“He’s heaven sent to me and everyone knows that.”
She said they’ve grown very close to many in the area and Huber also points out that she’s now lived in the Poconos for as long as she lived in Hawaii.
“My husband and I are best friends, we do a lot of things together and my children see that and sometimes they even complain that we’re always together,” Huber said.
So, it was to no one’s surprise when Fran Huber checked into the hospital to donate a kidney to her beloved Scott.
That the transplant occurred on Scott Huber’s birthday, Sept. 21, was something else that proved to be appropriate, his wife said. [Read more]
That's what a local donor said about giving his left kidney away.
"You'd do it, too," said Ray Wakefield, 38, who, on Sept. 7, donated a kidney to his 40-year-old brother, Gary.
Ray will be the honouree of the Kidney Walk, hosted by the local branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, Sunday at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre starting with registration at 1 p.m.
The Wakefield family has a hereditary genetic disease in its midst called polycystic kidney disease.
Ray's dad Peter and Peter's brother William each have the disease along with Gary, who lives in Surrey.
Peter, who had a transplant a few years ago and William, who had a transplant about 20 years ago, are both thriving.
It took a bit of time for Ray to decide if he was doing the right thing.
"I've cut the chain," said Ray, who had to make sure he could not pass the disease along to his children or their children who might one day need his kidney for their survival. Brayden, 13, Kaylee, 11, and Emily, 8, are all safe from the disease.
As soon as he was assured the kids would not get the disease it was an easy decision to make.
Gary's kidneys were so damaged that they both needed to be taken out.
"When they were removed the kidneys weighed 52 pounds," said Ray, with a shake of his head.
"They took up so much room in his body that they had to dice them up and take them out. Gary's been on dialysis for probably five years."
Then he got really sick because dialysis was not working as it should.
"It was only a matter of time then," said Ray, who moved to Prince George about six months ago.
It took about a year of testing Ray's body to make sure he was healthy enough and the kidney was compatible enough to transplant into Gary's body.
"He's doing fantastic - he's already lost 50 pounds because now his kidney works," said Ray. But it took a while to get him there.
Ray's kidney was not a typical kidney and that complicated things. A typical kidney has one vein, one artery and one discharge going into the bladder. Ray's kidney had two veins, three arteries and one discharge. Ray said the doctors had to work on the kidney for about an hour before getting it into Gary and it took a couple of weeks before they knew it was going to work, he said.
Now Ray's remaining kidney and the kidney in Gary's body are working at the same capacity - about 50 per cent. Kidney function failure occurs at eight per cent so 50 is a strong number, he added.
Ray is six weeks into his healing and will have to take two months off work in total before he returns to his local job as a plumber and a full year for his body to completely recover. He is expected, at best, to reach 75 per cent kidney function and it will grow to accommodate its new solo status.
During this healing time Ray, who lost his mom to cancer a few years ago, said he is getting great support from girlfriend, Stacey, which has made the whole process so much easier.
"I'm doing good," he said. "The first few weeks were hard because you're trying to deal with it all and you're not used to laying in bed all the time. It's worth the two months off work to give Gary an extra 20 or 30 years on his life, you know? It's too soon for him to go. Some things you just gotta do."
Ray was warned that side effects from only having one kidney would include raised blood pressure and he needs to be careful of his potassium intake. But so far his blood pressure is the same as it always was and his attitude toward food is everything in moderation so the dietary restrictions don't bother him.
But no more snowboarding or extreme sports for Ray. He has to make sure to keep his remaining kidney healthy and safe.
Ray was able to access the living organ donor expense reimbursement program through the BC branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada that covers costs related to donating a kidney including things like airfare, hotel, meals and loss of income. [Read more]
Living with PKD
Ralph Beach’s yard signs aren’t like the others cropping up around the Tri-State this fall. Instead of advocating for a political cause or candidate, they ask for something much smaller: A kidney.
There are more than 100,000 people waiting for kidney transplants in the United States, according to the National Kidney Foundation, and 66-year-old Beach is one of them. He spends 10 hours each day on dialysis to treat his polycystic kidney disease.
"It’s just hard to have a normal life," Beach, a retired banker, said.
He’s been waiting for a transplant for more than three years, and in that time, he said he’s been forced to miss out on hallmarks of retirement such as travel and time with family. Dialysis consumes huge portions of each day.
As time passed and Beach’s likelihood of receiving a donated kidney appeared to remain low, he decided to take the issue into his own hands. His yard signs and web site are a direct solution to his problem: instead of relying on waiting lists and a small pool of available living donors, they ask passersby directly to get in touch about a potential donation.
Beach said his 125 signs had generated about 65 calls from potential donors. Despite that, and despite being on the waiting list at five transplant centers in four different states, he still has not found a match.
All he and his family can do is wait.
"He just deserves a better life," said Velina Beach, his wife of 35 years. "He’s a very good man."
To learn more about kidney donation and how you can help Ralph Beach, click here.
Brittany Parker and her family know the challenges of living with polycystic kidney disease. Parker is one of the organizers behind the Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Farm-to-Table Dinner taking place at the NSCC Kingstec campus in Kentville on Thursday, Oct. 27. Front row (from left): Bethany Uhlman, Dale Uhlman, Booker (the dog), DJ Uhlman and David Uhlman. Back row (from left): Stephanie Uhlman, Carol Uhlman, Courtney Walsh and Brittany Parker. Carol and David Uhlman are the only two who do not have polycystic kidney disease. (Contributed)
Brittany Parker knows firsthand the challenges of living with polycystic kidney disease.
In her case, polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes multiple cysts to form in the kidneys.
Polycystic kidneys become very large, have a bumpy surface and contain many fluid-filled cysts.
This can be associated with a number of conditions, including high blood pressure, urinary and kidney infections, kidney stones and kidney failure. Her grandfather, father, her four siblings and her daughter, Elli, have all suffered from this disease.
That’s why she’s one of the organizers behind a special Farm-to-Table Dinner to raise funds and awareness of kidney disease. The event is presented by the Kidney Foundation of Canada and takes place on Thursday, Oct. 27, at the NSCC Kingstec campus.
“It’s going to be a three-course meal paired with wines from Benjamin Bridge, which is the wine sponsor for the event,” Parker says.
“K-Rock has just come on as a sponsor so they will be providing a master of ceremonies for the evening. Ryan Cook will be the featured entertainment.”
Tasting stations will open at 5:30 p.m. featuring Lightfoot & Wolfville, Barrelling Tide Distillery, Bulwark Cider and Lazy Bear Brewing, followed by the dinner at 6:15 p.m.
There will be a silent and a live auction during the evening as part of the fundraising activities.
“It’s going to be a really wonderful event,” Parker says. “Not only are we raising awareness about kidney disease, but we’re doing it in a way that is enjoyable.”
According to statistics from the Kidney Foundation of Canada, as many as two million Canadians are affected by kidney disease.
There are a number of factors that contribute to chronic kidney disease, including ethnic origin, smoking, high blood pressure, genetics and a number of other factors.
In many people, it’s something that remains hidden, yet a simple blood test to indicate a person’s glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or kidney function level can tell the tale.
“I can honestly say it’s challenging being the child of someone who is ill,” Parker says. “But, being the parent who is ill and not being able to do the things you (or your children) want to because you are unwell is infinitely worse in comparison. It’s a hit to the ego. It is heart wrenching being in the hospital and not being able to go home knowing you have two little ones who need you and don’t really understand why you aren’t there. It’s hard not being able to always be the best you can be because you’re not feeling well.”
“For my husband, having a wife with PKD means constant uncertainty of my wellness, worrying that I’m not taking proper care of myself, picking up lots of slack, being there when I’m sick, staying by my side when I’m in the hospital, riding an emotional roller coaster and all the while knowing he will be my caretaker as my disease progressively worsens.”
For Elli, this means educating her about her disease, teaching her the things that are important — the things that I didn’t know. We want to ensure she understands why it’s so important that she listen to her body, shares how she’s feeling, knows the importance of a kidney-healthy diet.
We encourage her to talk about it, to ask as many questions as she can think of. Knowledge is power.
When she first found out, she asked how and why this was going to affect her. We are all different. What my experience has been could be completely different for her.
“Thanks to research, things are improving. Each generation sees marked improvement; lives are bettered, more successful. It’s why supporting the Kidney Foundation [of Canada] is so important to us as a family.”
Tickets are going fast for the Farm-to-Table Dinner. The cost is $75 per person or $600 per table and can be obtained by visiting www.kidney.ca/farmtotabledinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment