Researchers in Boston, Massachusetts have published the first description of successful transplantation of a bioengineered kidney into rats. The paper, published in this week’s Nature Medicine describes the process of decellularization by detergent perfusion and regeneration with epithelial and endothelial cells. The resulting kidney was capable of filtering and producing urine both in vitro and in vivo, although the ability to concentrate urine was considerably reduced compared to that in cadaveric controls.
These initial results of the technique are very encouraging, and refinement could lead to the development of a functional bioengineered kidney. Such a development would reduce the waiting list burden for cadaveric kidneys and potentially obviate the need for immunosuppression.