Photo: Organs
Rat Kidneys Made in Lab
A recent development in bioengineering has resulted in the production of replacement kidneys that function in rats. This has a great potential for a shortage of organ donations in humans. You can read about this in this article.
About 17,000 people with end-stage kidney disease receive a donor organ each year in the United States, but more than five times as many patients are on waiting lists. In 2011, nearly 5,000 people died while awaiting transplants. Bioengineered kidneys, especially if made using nonhuman sources, could ease or eliminate this organ shortage.
This article was a thrill to read, I like the fact that researchers at the general hospital in Boston were able to make functioning kidneys that can one day be in use for humans in need of kidneys who suffer with any form of kidney disease. The fact that it produces the same way as a normal organ shows good signs, their is still much more research and work to be conducted especially in the process when it comes to producing and creating new cells for these kidneys to function good as a real kidney. I can see bio engineering creating more functoning organs that can help so many life’s in the future