Scientists at MMCRI Grow a Piece of Kidney in the Lab

Scientists at Maine Medical Center Research Institute led by Dr. Leif Oxburgh succedeed at growing a tiny piece of kidney in their lab, a scientific achievement that could change the way the world treats kidney disease. This technology could potentially eliminate, or greatly reduce the need for kidney transplants. The minuscule components Oxburgh has grown – held together with silk – could eventually lead to full laboratory-grown organs. Currently the average wait time for those hoping for an organ transplant in the U.S. is 3.6 years. “Some people can’t tolerate the immune therapy, the anti-rejection drugs. This could open up transplants to a huge group of patients who could never get one” said Dr. Oxburgh. Read full story here

Related Posts

Business Leaders: Deborah Bronk steers Bigelow Lab expansion to boost reach, programming

Deborah Bronk is president, CEO and a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, which will...

24 March 2025

UNE retains R2 Research status, reinforcing leadership in scientific advancement

The University of New England has retained its status as one of the country’s leading research universities with the recent release...

23 March 2025

Maine college students investigate health effects of forever chemicals

Two dozen Maine college students are investigating the public health effects of forever chemicals by using zebrafish as human stand-ins and...

21 March 2025