Overview
- An IBEC-led team reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering that human kidney organoids survived and integrated within porcine renal tissue after transplantation.
- Researchers generated thousands of organoids using a scalable microaggregation and genetic-engineering method designed for uniform, affordable production.
- The organoids were infused into pig kidneys maintained ex vivo on normothermic perfusion machines, enabling real-time physiological monitoring.
- Modified kidneys were transplanted back into the same animals, and at 24–48 hours they showed normal function with no significant immune response, damage, or toxicity detected.
- The authors describe a proof-of-concept pathway toward preparing donor organs before implantation, with longer-term function, immunity, safety, and regulatory evaluations still required.