Hello everyone
I hope you're doing good. 😊
Do you think this permanent cure (bio-artificial kidney) is possible anytime soon?
It's supposed to replace dialysis and even kidney transplant.
I know the concept has been around for a few years now and didn't get anywhere for various reasons, but it seems like they've made great progress recently...
Here's the recent link:
Great news.
I'd imagine it coming around but perhaps not anytime soon. Pre-clinical status would allow for all kinds of things that wouldn't be acceptable in a clinical unit. Then again, it depends on how complicated the unit is technically the hurdles needn't be so great. A decade perhaps?
One to keep an eye out in though. It makes sense that folk be working in this- the alternatives are waay too limited and the costs of them horrendous ( health system cost and patient quality of life)
Imagine, tucking into a 16oz steak again. Hmmmm...
The device isn’t as complicated as you would think. It’s a smallish device, exact measurements I don’t remember but it’ll have either the patients cells or stem cells to create a cellular filer like structure that the patients blood will filter through
Righto thanks. I'm supposing there's more to the kidney than just the filter. That's the most elemental way of viewing it but I gather its 'smarter' than that: knowing when to filter and when enough is enough (so to speak). Else our serum readings for urea and the like would be zero when we get up in the morning 
I got high hope for it but don't know when it's going to be available and how much it's going to cost, especially at first. I'll be very much interested to see what impact they can have when installed much sooner than later, assuming that the supply can meet the demand. It's easy for me to say that as I was given 10 years before dialysis but the more life it can save the better. It's what matters most.
I am not following the R&D closely but I expect artificial kidney and portable hemodialysis to be more alike in the future. There will be likely fundamental difference with distinct limitation/benefits but hopefully most of the breakthrough have a good carry-over to portable hemodialysis. I expect it to be still cheaper and more accessible to a greater percentage of the population.
Hi Sharam, I read about that this morning and was going to post the article. It does sound very promising for the future. I'm sure it will be quite a while before it is widely available. It would be great to get into a clinical trial and get it for free. Not all insurances will pay for it until it's been around 10 or 20 years and the cost has come down as with drugs once they become generic rather than brand name only. I am glad that such research is being done. It will be a literal lifesaver for many and a vast improvement over the present options. I wish the UCSF research dept. all the best with this project. Eventually it could help the way the artificial heart valve has helped so many cardiology patients.
I'd imagine it will be something done on public health given the cost of maintaining a patient on dialysis.
I'm the CEO of DaVita or Fresenius. I bring in $90,000 per patient per year on dialysis. I have tens of thousands of shareholders to please. Don't you think my shareholders will demand that I lobby every congressman and Senator to block this new technology? You think I'm going to give away my $30 Million a year salary by going against their wishes? If so, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. Reality, folks.
You are right. Unfortunately dialysis it's huge business. It's also true kidney patients are increasing every year. Cost of dialysis could become unsustainable for any government. I'm convinced this technology can work. They proved already inside animal. But instead of receiving million to speed up development they are small team with not appropriate resource s. So encourage anyone to get knowledge and when convinced start making noise around.
I'm also convinced the technology is viable, but as you rightly point out, there's a reason that inappropriate resources are behind promising new technologies like this; It's because the two largest dialysis corporations have billions to lose. "Ain't no money in the cure. The money's in the come-back." -Chris Rock
Fresenius were the company that produced the keto acid analogues used by researchers looking into dialysis prevention. Ketosteril was the name of it
I gather the original use of the Ketosteril was at end stage, preparing the patient for dialysis. Then someone got the idea to try these ketos as part of a very low protein diets aimed at staving off dialysis.
You can't seem to get Fresenius Ketosteril anymore. The only appearance of it is on dodgy looking Indian sites.
Wonder why they would have stopped the manufacture of such a promising supplement??
Great find! Had never heard of Ketosteril. Had only heard of Bragg, which is found at the grocery store and Lee Hull's pricey Albutrix. But yes, the likely reason that Ketosteril isn't available any more is simple greed by shareholders. Should I be surprised that low protein diets supplemented with aminos has fallen off the radar these past several decades?pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/112...
There's Ketorena too, a made in USA product. About the same price per gramme equivalent protein as Albutrix.
I came across a job add with Fresenius Sweden for a product sales manager Ketosteril. Recent (as in 2021). It talked of product launch. So I got in touch.today with Fresenius Kabi Ireland to see if Ketosteril can be bought from a reputable supplier.
Might be cheaper than Albutrix or put price pressure on through competition.
There is certainly an economic/business model factor at play but I think that you pushing it a bit too much. Nor do I think there is anything evil with Fresenius, I think "a major dialysis company" would have proven your point.
You are not wrong, an established medical company is unlikely to go all-in on unproven technology when their current business is not going anywhere. Or does it? There is competition, innovation and new start-up offering new solutions. Anyone who develop a viable artificial kidney will more or less grab the market for himself. Anyone who significantly improve the performance, portability or reduce the cost of dialysis is going to grab market share.
And yes, IMO it's also a reason why those price/funds are critical for developing new technologies. They are great incentives and I think there are generating more competition than going into space.
I didn't single out Fresenius. I also mentioned DaVita which is their main competitor. And I'm not saying they're good or evil. I'm simply impressing upon the business angle, which is what they're all about. They both own the lion's share of the dialysis market.
I am very skeptical about the lobbying part. I think risk vs. reward is more fundamental to business than lobbying. It's not your words but I don't foresee a fiasco such as insulin pricing (how the original patent expired formula is not available in the US but the more expensive and improved version is) yet I do believe that pricing will be an issue for many and that dialysis will prevail.
Ain't saying your wrong but from an engineering perspective a filter (at its most basic) is a simpler thing to make than a pump (at its most basic). Might be more hope in that..
Yes, we should be on the Jarvik 236 by now. 
Here is the link to The Kidney Project at UCSF that talks more about the development and need for an artifical kidney:pharm.ucsf.edu/kidney/need
Wonderful news. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you all for your comments and replies. I learned a lot...I think more and more people need to know about this to raise awareness and promote the project. It can help a lot.
I searched a lot and in the past few years a lot of new research has been in progress with bright outlook.
I also found this one.
shebamedical.org/2020/01/29...
I'm sure there is much more we don't know. I don't why they're not given the attention they need. Maybe because of what some of you guys said about the shareholders and dialysis providers and lobbying and stuff... But how long can they halt this?!
I have done a research project on this and from what I remember it is most certainly possible however it is far from any human trails. But the concept of it is sound.
Very promising and encouraging..I call the bi-artificial kidney,the gift of life worth trying.. keep us posted on this
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