Session C2
6263
Disclaimer — This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the
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USE OF STEM CELLS TO ENGINEER ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY TISSUE FOR
THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Safwan Rahman, snr34@pitt.edu, Mena 4:00, Edward-James Gardner, eag68@pitt.edu, Mena 4:00
Revised Proposal — Tissue engineering is an up and coming
technology that has many different applications in research
and medical treatment, such as the treatment of kidney
disease. An estimated 26 million Americans currently suffer
from chronic kidney disease [1]. Currently, the only options
for treatment, dialysis and transplantation, are invasive, time
consuming, and uncomfortable for the patient. Out of the
121,000 Americans that are awaiting kidney transplants, only
a meager 17,000 were able to receive the lifesaving
transplant due to a lack of organ donors [2]. Unfortunately,
even receiving a kidney transplant has its own complications,
including recovery from surgery and lifetime medication to
prevent tissue rejection.
However, breakthroughs in tissue engineering and
regenerative medicine have resulted in the ability to use stem
cells to grow artificial kidney tissue in order to treat chronic
kidney disease. Tissue engineering is the synthesis of
biological tissue constructs used to restore, maintain, and
treat damaged organs [3]. Tissue components heavily utilized
in this area of research include cardiac, liver, kidney and
lung tissue [3]. The ability to create kidney tissue that can
properly filter fluids and wastes from the body will allow
patients with chronic kidney disease to have restored function
in their urinary system [4]. Properly functioning kidneys that
are created in a laboratory environment will decrease the
pressure on hospitals for organ donors. Additionally, the
heightened availability of kidneys available for transplant
will allow patients to undergo surgery faster, while also
making sure that more people get the organs they need [4].
This topic is relevant now because it involves the creation
of new a treatment that is more readily available, cost
effective, and paves the way for further breakthroughs in
tissue engineering technology. The successful transplant of
an artificially engineered kidney that is sustainable in a
human patient will pave the road for the development of more
complex organs [4]. However, there are ethical issues
associated with this innovation. Although embryonic stem
cells are often used in laboratories, the public often regards
the use of embryonic stem cells as inhumane or unethical [5].
Additionally, some people are concerned about the use of
artificial organs in humans in the first place [6]. Although
there are many ethical concerns, the benefits of this new
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering 1
2016/01/29
technology, such as a higher quality of life for patients,
outweigh the costs.
The paper will initially focus on the use of stem cells to
grow kidney tissue and organs, the effectiveness of using stem
cells, and the relevance of growing tissue in the field of
engineering. Then, it will shift focus to chronic kidney disease
and how kidney tissue engineering is a viable treatment
option. The economic, social, and medical impacts will all be
discussed along with the ethics regarding tissue engineering.
REFERENCES
[1] “Chronic Kidney Disease.” (2015, January 30). Mayo
Clinic. (Online Article). http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidney-disease/basics/definition/con-20026778
[2] “About Chronic Kidney Disease.” (2015). National
Kidney
Foundation.
(Online
Article).
https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/aboutckd
[3] “Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.” (2013).
National
Institute
of
Biomedical
Imaging
and
Bioengineering.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/sciencetopics/tissue-engineering-and-regenerative-medicine
[4] V. Ninichuk, O. Gross, S. Segerer, R. Hoffmann, E.
Radomska, A. Buchstaller, R Huss , N. Akis, D. Schlöndorff
and H-J. Anders. “Tissue Engineering the Kidney.”(2013).
Official journal of the International Society of Nephrology.
(Journal
Article).
http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v68/n4/abs/4496265a.html
[5] L. Claudia, F. Toge, H. Ittrich, F. Clayton, C, NolteErnsting. A. R Zander, and C Westenfelder. “Administered
mesenchymal stem cells enhance recovery from
ischemia/reperfusion–induced acute renal failure in
rats.”(2015). Official journal of the International Society of
Nephrology.
(Journal
Article).
http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v68/n4/abs/4496265a.html
[6] “Anthony Atala: Printing a Human Kidney.” (2011). TED
Talks.
(Video).
https://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_
kidney?language=en#t-269131
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Safwan Rahman
Edward-James Gardner
Nephrology.
(Journal
Article).
http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v68/n4/abs/4496265a.html
This is a journal article focusing on the use of
mesenchymal stem cells and adult stem cells in tissue
engineering technology. It species how I/R-induced ARF
models are used to create basic tissue in organisms, starting
with models derived from rats and humans. The journal talks
about how this technology is used in the creation of organ
tissues.
“About Chronic Kidney Disease.” (2015). National Kidney
Foundation.
(Online
Article).
https://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/aboutckd
An article posted by the National Kidney Foundation that
outlines what is chronic kidney disease, the general causes for
the ailment, facts regarding the disease’s impact on America,
and symptoms indicating its manifestation. While this article
also gives an overview of kidney disease, it also lends
meaningful statistical data will be used to illustrate the
critical need for kidney transplants, as the supply of ready
transplants cannot meet the demand.
“Engineering Kidneys for Treatments and Transplants.”
(2015). National Kidney Foundation. (Online Article).
https://www.kidney.org/professionals/Benjamin-FreedmanEngineering-Kidneys
This article about Dr. Benjamin Freedman discusses the
use of kidney tissue engineering to treat kidney disease, such
as Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). This article mainly
focuses on the impact and technological advances made with
kidney tissue engineering, while also discussing the
importance of tissue engineering on society.
“Anthony Atala: Printing a Human Kidney.” (2011). TED
Talks.
(Video).
https://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_
kidney?language=en#t-269131
In this video, Dr. Anthony Atala discusses the importance
and implications of tissue engineering technology,
specifically regarding kidney tissue engineering. He discusses
how kidney tissue and organs can be generated inside a
laboratory environment, and the processes involved in
creating such organs. He details the process of creating a
human kidney using printing technology and human body
cells. He talks about each step in detail, and explains the
machines used in the process, and the ethical concerns
regarding this technology.
J.F Mano, G.A Silva, et al. (2007, December 22). “Natural
Origin Biodegradable Systems in Tissue Engineering and
Regenerative Medicine: Present Status and Some Moving Trends.”
The
Royal
Society.
(Online
Article).
http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/4/17/999.short
This article by the Royal Society details the new
innovations in tissue engineering, including stem cell tissue
engineering used in organ regeneration. This paper talks
about the use of natural based polymeric systems and the
extracellular matrix in tissue engineering technology (as a
function of the process used to create tissue).
“Choosing a Topic.” University of Pittsburgh Swanson
School
of
Engineering.
(2014).
(Video).
http://www.library.pitt.edu/other/files/il/fresheng/index.html
This video, by the University of Pittsburgh, discusses how
to choose a topic for a research project. It details how to
choose a broad topic area, and then it explains how to narrow
the topic choice down to a specific innovation/technology
that can be discussed in depth. The video talks about what to
do and what not to do when choosing a topic.
V. Ninichuk, O. Gross, S. Segerer, R. Hoffmann, E.
Radomska, A. Buchstaller, R Huss , N. Akis, D. Schlöndorff
and H-J. Anders. “Tissue Engineering the Kidney.”(2013).
Official journal of the International Society of Nephrology.
(Journal Article).
“Chronic Kidney Disease.” (2015, January 30). Mayo Clinic.
(Online
Article).
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidney-disease/basics/definition/con-20026778
An article from the Mayo Clinic detailing the kidney’s
ability to detoxify the bloodstream of hazardous materials via
the secretion of urine and also how this function gradually
fails due to chronic kidney disease. This article will lend a
comprehensive overview of what is kidney disease, kidney
disease being the axiomatic challenge we intend to solve with
the production of regenerative kidneys.
“Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.” (2013).
National
Institute
of
Biomedical
Imaging
and
Bioengineering.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/sciencetopics/tissue-engineering-and-regenerative-medicine
This article by the National Institute of Biomedical
Imaging and Bioengineering discusses the general definition
of tissue engineering. It also talks about different trends in the
tissue engineering field.
L. Claudia, F. Toge, H. Ittrich, F. Clayton, C, Nolte-Ernsting.
A. R Zander, and C Westenfelder. “Administered
mesenchymal stem cells enhance recovery from
ischemia/reperfusion–induced acute renal failure in
rats.”(2015). Official journal of the International Society of
C. Vaughan. (2015, May 14). “Researchers discover that
adult kidneys constantly grow and remodel themselves, and
how they do it.” Stanford University. (Online Article).
http://stemcell.stanford.edu/news/kidney.html
This article by Stanford University talks about how adult
kidneys are able to grow and remodel themselves naturally,
2
Safwan Rahman
Edward-James Gardner
and how scientists can use that discovery to aid them in
kidney tissue engineering research.
3