New hope for kidney revival for transplant

New research has demonstrated that kidneys can be revived prior to transplantation by delivering a cell therapy directly to the organ.

A team led by Newcastle University researcher, Dr Emily Thompson, is the first to discover that a new technique called Normothermic Machine Perfusion – when combined with stem cells – can be used to improve the function of ‘marginal’ kidneys, organs that are at risk of not working as well.

By treating kidneys with a type of stem cell called MultiStem®, the organs demonstrated a number of responses associated with better function caused by the release of anti-inflammatory molecules, improving blood flow to damaged cells and increasing urine production.

The research is published in the American Journal of Transplantation and Dr Thompson, from the Translational and Clinical Research institute, Newcastle University, UK and transplant surgery registrar at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, led the research project.

She is funded by Kidney Research UK and by the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, and this research was supported by the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre.

Article adapted, with thanks from Newcastle University. To read the full story, visit this link