the implantable bioartificial kidney

courtesy :http://bts.ucsf.edu/roy/research.html

improving Dialysis Patients' Quality of Life with Miniature Artificial Kidney
Grant Number - 1R01EB008049

Principal Investigator
Shuvo Roy, Ph.D.
Cleveland Clinic
Lerner College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH

Nearly half a million people in the United States suffer from end-state renal disease (ESRD), and the incidence rate of this disease has been steadily increasing for over 25 years. Kidney transplantation provides the best option for ESRD patients, but a shortage of donors means that most patients never make it to the top of a waiting list. The alternative is dialysis, which is not only expensive and inconvenient for patients, but also far less effective.

An interdisciplinary group of researchers from a number of academic institutions and companies has envisioned a way to improve management of ESRD by developing an implantable, self-regulating, bioartificial device capable of filtering toxins from the blood, as well as replacing the endocrine and metabolic functions of the kidney. Current efforts in the design of this two-chamber renal device focus on carefully tailoring the pores of the filtration membrane that can be driven by a patient's normal blood flow. The next step will be the development of a miniaturized cell bioreactor to carry out the other functions of the device. The team hopes to have a product ready for testing in humans within the next 10 years.

Note on the Implantable Bioartificial Kidney Project:
The bioartificial kidney project as a whole is led by Shuvo Roy, PhD, associate professor, UCSF Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and director of the UCSF Biomedical Microdevices Laboratory. Dr. Roy also leds the membrane research component of the work.   
Phase 1 of the comprehensive project has been funded by a $3.2 M Quantum Grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to assess feasibility and identify best approaches.  As of September 2010, results have demonstrated proof of concept for the essential components of the device, including high performance membranes for hemofiltration, surface coatings for enhanced biocompatibility, and cell isolation, propagation and preservation techniques for bioreactor development, and efficacy in animals.   See the initial Phase 1 Quantum Grant summary:http://www.nibib.nih.gov/Research/QuantumGrants/Roy
Phase 2 of the project, will integrate the Phase 1 successes made possible by the Quantum Grant by continuing engineering and development to show additional efficacy of the device in animals and functionality in end stage renal disease patients.