英國每日電訊報報導，英國科學家成功從幹細胞培育出人工腎臟，這項突破未來可望造福等待腎臟移植手術的病人，讓病患能夠自行長出器官，免除器官移植容易出現的排斥問題。
英國愛丁堡大學的研究人員以人類羊水與胚胎幹細胞培養出人工腎臟，目前器官長度為零點五公分，相當於尚未出生胎兒的腎臟的大小。科學家希望這些腎臟移植到人體內時，可以長到正常器官大小。
這項突破可使患者不再需要使用抑制排斥的藥物，排斥是器官移植常見的障礙，患者往往必須服用強力抑制免疫力藥劑，以阻止身體排斥他人腎臟的問題。
愛丁堡大學教授戴維斯說：「我們已經取得相當不錯的進展，可以研發出具備正常胎兒腎臟精密程度的器官。」
研究團隊期盼，未來醫師能在嬰兒出生時，收集母親子宮的羊水儲存起來，以備當事人日後若罹患腎臟病時，可用來培養出適用的腎臟。
戴維斯說，這項技術可在大約十年後適用於人體。他指出，相較於多年洗腎的花費，把幾個幹細胞冷凍儲存起來，當然比較划算。幹細胞培育的自體生長腎臟，比起腎臟移植手術可能得終生服用抗排斥藥物，問題也較少。
Kidneys are created in stem cell breakthrough
It raises hopes that kidney disease patients will one day be able to grow their own new organs with no risk of rejection.
Kidneys 5mm long – the size of those in foetuses – were made using a combination of cells from amniotic fluid, which surrounds babies in the womb, and animal foetal cells.
It is hoped the organs could be grown to maturity if implanted in a patient. In future, people’s amniotic fluid could be retained at birth, allowing it to be used later if they develop kidney disease.
‘The idea is to start with human stem cells and end up with a functioning organ,’ said physiologist professor Jamie Davies, whose University of Edinburgh team carried out the work.
‘We can make something that has the complexity of a normal, foetal kidney but not an adult one yet.’
Stem cell technology could be ready for use on humans in about ten years, he said.
A US team has already shown a foetal kidney can be put into an adult animal and grown there. About 7,000 people are on the waiting list for kidney transplants but there is a serious shortage of the organs.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/860495-kidneys-are-created-in-stem-cell-breakthrough#ixzz1KhXb0Kqe
