I recently read an article called, “Human Kidney Progenitors Isolated, Offering New Clues to Cell Renewal,” published by a group of researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. I have a friend who suffers from Chronic Kidney Failure and after coming across this article, I realized I know nothing about what Kidney Failure is or what measures are being taken to help combat this disease. That is the reason I picked this article and found it so interesting.
This article explains that we as humans each have tiny, key structures in our kidneys which filter waste. From fetal gestation to about 36 weeks, we generate around 500,000 to 1,000,000 of these nephrons. If someone at any time experiences a loss of a significant amount of these little structures, it will result in immutable kidney failure, because cell regeneration is unable to develop. With this knowledge in mind, the researchers at The Saban Research Institute devised a way to isolate human nephron progenitor cells. This modern method will guide scientists to interpret how these progenitor cells transform into renal cells in a flourishing fetus.
What interests me most about this article, is not only will this improve scientists’ chances at renal regeneration, but this latest technique can also be incorporated with the lung, pancreas, as well as other organs. As far as regeneration and bioengineering purposes go, this is a major breakthrough. I learned that before now, scientists have only been able to study nephron progenitors through animal models or induced pluripotent stem cells. The fact that they can now use RNA-labeling probes to directly isolate human NP (nephron progenitors), helped me to comprehend the fact that everyday there are advancements in scientific methods and techniques being made. This new advancement is a tool that will now allow studying of how to regulate development and cell renewal, which will make a huge difference for those who are diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Failure or other related diseases.
That is an interesting article. As you stated in your article "If someone at any time experiences a loss of significant amount of these little structures, it will result in immutable kidney failure." I am curious to know, what causes these nephrons to be lost or destroyed?
ReplyDeleteTL
I researched the answer to your question and what I got from my research was that there are small tubules in our kidneys which carry the nephrons. The tubules are highly susceptible to injury and when damaged, the tubules can repair themselves. If the tubules are damaged severely enough it damages the nephrons. Unlike the tubules, once nephrons are damaged they can not be repaired or regenerated.
Delete-KP
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ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting as to how this method could be incorporated with the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Do you think it would work for every organ or is there some organs this is not possible with?
ReplyDelete-Joseph P
This is very interesting, since I do not know much about kidney failure either. In what other ways can this technique benefit the other organs that you mentioned?
ReplyDeleteM.E.
This article gives a lot of information about the importance of the study they are doing on the liver. i would like to know what process was taken place in order for them to isolate human nephron progenitor cells. Was there side effects on the individual that it was performed on ? was it on a human ? an animal ? if it was on an animal is it possible to do the same procedure on a human?
ReplyDelete-MM
Hi Kindall,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is amazing on how far techniques and scientific breakthroughs can happen. With kidney issues many people get put on a transplant list. The list is regulated through UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing). There is a system that is in place to make sure the system is fair and equitable and that those that need the organ the most are at the top of the list. Statistically one organ donor can save 8 lives but roughly 22 people die a day waiting for a transplant. (https://www.unos.org/data/) From January 1998 to November 2016 statisically kidneys are the organ donated the most. There have been 403,614 kidney transplants (59% of the transplants). If the research that is being conducted on nephrons leads to the ability to use them in a way to help save someone's liver then less transplants will be needed. This is good because transplants do have a chance of failure because the body rejects the organ. This is because the immune system destroys the tissue. Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
RW
2. What is a Nephron and what is it’s function, especially in that of a kidney? Yes it is stated that a loss in a large amount of Nephrons causes kidney failure, but why is this, did the article say or are there too many functions and it was simply chosen not to be put down? –JA
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