Millions of people suffering from kidney disease are in search of new hope every day. But now there is a good news. After 10 years of hard work, scientists from Canada and China have created a universal kidney, which can be given to patients with any blood type. This will reduce the waiting list and save lives.
kidney Current problem of transplant: blood group wall
First understand the problem. For kidney transplant, the donor kidney must match the blood group of the receiver. O type blood is ‘universal donor’, that is, it can be given to any group (A, B, AB, O). But O type kidneys are less in number because everyone can use them.
More than half the people on the waiting list wait for an O type kidney. In America alone, 11 people die every day due to lack of kidney. Even in India, lakhs of patients are living on dialysis. If a kidney of a different blood group is transplanted, the body considers it foreign and rejects it. The current method? Preparing the patient with medicines – this is expensive, time consuming and risky. A living donor is required and it takes several months.
What is a universal kidney? a look
This new kidney is ‘like O type’, which will blend into the body of a patient with any blood group. Scientists changed A type kidney to O type. Biochemist Stephen Withers of the University of British Columbia, Canada, says that this was tested in the human body for the first time. This gave us tips to work for a long time. This kidney continued to function for several days in the body of a brain-dead person. This research was done with the consent of the family.
How was this kidney made? magic scissors of enzymes
Blood type A, B or AB have sugar molecules (antigens) attached to the surface of the kidneys, which tell the body whether it is ‘own’ or ‘foreign’. O type does not have these antigens. Scientists used special enzymes (proteins) that cut off type A antigens.
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Withers compares it to removing paint from a car. It is said to be like removing red paint and revealing a neutral primer. As soon as the antigens are removed, the immune system considers the kidney as its own. These enzymes were already identified, but now they have been used successfully on the kidney. Research Nature Biomedical Engineering Published in the journal.
How was the test? What were the results?
Type A kidney was transplanted into the body of a brain-dead person. She kept working for several days – filtering blood, removing waste. On the third day, few signs of type A were seen, which led to a mild immune response. But this was less than normal. The body was trying to tolerate the kidneys. Withers says this is about basic science reaching patients. Our discoveries are now showing impact in the real world.
Challenges ahead: Still to be tested in living humans
This is the beginning. Many difficulties remain…
- If the antigens are not completely removed, rejection may occur.
- How will it last for a long time? Just a few days now.
- When will the trial be conducted on living patients? Still far away.
Scientists are also trying other methods – like using kidneys of pigs or making new antibodies. But this universal kidney can save millions of lives by reducing waiting time.
Why is this breakthrough important?
Kidney failure is on the rise around the world – from diabetes, high blood pressure. There are more than 1 lakh people on the waiting list in America. More than 2 lakh in India. Most patients die due to O type deficiency. If universal kidney comes, the number of donors will double.
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