Stem cell Therapy For Kidney Failure & Disease | Dr David Greene

STEM CELL

THERAPY FOR KIDNEY FAILURE & DISEASE

Dr David Greene R3

Stem Cell

KIDNEY DISEASE

The kidneys are one of the most important organs in the body. Kidney disease can occur for a number of reasons, and if it progresses without being treated, the kidneys can fail entirely. Acute kidney failure can also occur in a matter of days, usually when the organs don’t receive enough blood. In either case, it’s incredibly important to repair kidney function as quickly as possible. The kidneys are the body’s primary filtering mechanism, and if you don’t have working kidneys you’ll experience a number of distressing symptoms.

KIDNEY FAILURE

Kidney failure is usually managed by dialysis. In this article, we explore the use of stem cell therapy for treating kidney failure and kidney disease. This alternative treatment is showing promise for helping to improve the quality of life in people who are struggling with kidney disease.

HOW COULD STEM CELL THERAPY HELP KIDNEY FAILURE?

There are a few ways that stem cells could be useful for treating kidney failure and kidney disease. One avenue looks at the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a certain type of stem cell that is particularly useful for helping to fight inflammation. In regards to kidney disease, MSCs can help to reduce inflammation so that the organs can resume functioning at a high level.

Animal studies have also explored the use of different types of stem cells. These stem cells, known as iPSCs, were used to create renal progenitor cells, which are among the most important cells in the kidneys. Once these cells were implanted, the animals showed improved kidney function.

Stem cell therapy has also been used in conjunction with organ transplants to help reduce the chances of the organ being rejected. This could help patients with acute kidney failure who are waiting on an organ transplant.

STEM CELLS & REDUCED DIALYSIS

One of the things that stem cell therapy may soon be able to do reliably is to help reduce the frequency of dialysis. Dialysis is currently the main treatment that is offered to people who are struggling with kidney disease and kidney failure.

Since stem cells are able to help reduce inflammation and repair damage, it is believed that they could significantly reduce the amount of dialysis that a patient requires. By lowering the amount of dialysis required and improving kidney function, could lead to significant improvements to the quality of life of kidney failure patients.