Nephrology – VJRegenMed

The future of small-diameter human acellular vessels

Simon Ng — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 13:14:34 +0000

Whilst the field of cardiac bioengineering has predominantly focused on 3D printing and cell and gene therapies, research on human acellular vessels (HAVs) is still in its infancy. Alan Kypson, MD, FACS, UNC REX Hospital, Raleigh, NC, discusses current developments in HAVs and their potential applications. Large-diameter HAVs can be applied in dialysis for patients with end-stage renal disease or in a surgical setting for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Dr Kypson additionally emphasizes future research on small-diameter HAVs, which can be used in patients with cardiovascular disease, especially in patients who often lack the appropriate vessels for bypass surgery. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Current tissue engineering strategies for solid organ replacement

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 11:48:33 +0000

Anthony Atala, MD, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, provides an overview of the current landscape for tissue engineering strategies for solid organ replacement and highlights some exciting avenues of research such as in the treatment of kidney disease and replacement of skin. Prof. Atala points out that whilst the vascularization of flat structures such as skin and tubular such as blood vessels is possible, a key remaining challenge that need to be addressed is the vascularization of complex whole organs. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

CTNS-RD-04: HSC gene therapy for cystinosis

admin_vjr_user — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 13:25:11 +0000

Currently, cystine depleting therapy using cysteamine is used to treat cystinosis, however, this is a very difficult, non-curative treatment regimen associated with numerous side effects. Stephanie Cherqui, PhD, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, discusses the updated results of an ongoing Phase I/II trial (NCT03897361) investigating the efficacy of CTNS-RD-04, a novel autologous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC)-based gene therapy, in patients with cystinosis. In the first three male patients treated, CTNS-RD-04 was found to decrease cystine crystal formation, decrease cystine content in white blood cells and improve photophobia. This interview took place during the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 24th Annual Meeting 2021.

Renin producing human kidney organoids

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:20:19 +0000

Anushka Shankar, MD, MSc, of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, discusses the development of human kidney organoids from stem cells, that can restore the endocrine system, including renin production. Furthermore, Dr. Shankar outlines the next steps in research, including determining how physiological interactions may affect renin production. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Regenerative Medicine (VJRegenMed).

Next steps in kidney organoid development

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:20:19 +0000

Anushka Shankar, MD, MSc, of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, outlines the next steps in developing functional kidney organoids including vascularization, and furthermore highlights the importance of safety analysis before these novel therapies can be used in routine clinical practice. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Regenerative Medicine (VJRegenMed).