Making organs from stem cells using decellularized matrices

The success of organ transplantation has led to severe organ shortages. In the field of kidney transplantation, to increase the donor pool, more marginal kidney grafts are now accepted for transplantation resulting in increased delayed graft function with a negative impact on the patient’s long-term outcome. Being able to build an organ on demand will help to alleviate organ shortages. Kidney disease is an ideal model for designer organs because patients can be maintained on dialysis while the designer organ is being manufactured. Building a three-dimensional organ requires an appropriate three-dimensional substrate. For this we are using decellularized kidneys (porcine) for our experiments. Our research group is focused on studies to determine the feasibility of manufacturing a whole, functional kidney from stem cells and acellular kidney substrates as a treatment for severe kidney disease. There is a strong precedent established in the literature for this idea. Our goal is to bring together multiple technologies that will lead to a successful project.