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

Bar Harbor approves Jackson Lab’s $33M expansion for rare disease research

The Bar Harbor Planning Board has approved a plan by the Jackson Laboratory to build a 20,000-square-foot expansion to its Rare Disease Translational...

22 August 2024

Bigelow lab receives $7 million for algae research, business development

Researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences believe algae can make a big splash in the agricultural, aquaculture and pharmaceutical industries,...

21 August 2024

Should Maine create a public medical school? UMaine System will study the question

The University of Maine System said this week it will work with a national consultant to study the feasibility of launching the state’s...

21 August 2024