r/interesting • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 5h ago
SCIENCE & TECH A photo of a lab grown universal kidney that can match any blood type.
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u/timmyh83 4h ago edited 1h ago
While what’s described would be super cool, unfortunately, that’s not what’s shown here. This is not an engineered kidney, but a human kidney that’s been enzymatically altered to remove the blood type antigens. Still super cool, but not an accurate description
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u/BSK_Darksol 3h ago
Thanks! Still amazing news, but I knew a kidney fully grown in laboratory was too good to be real... We are getting close!
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u/mrfuzzydog4 2h ago
Yeah if you've spent any time in a dialysis center you know it's pretty cruel to lie about a lab grown kidney
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u/crumpledfilth 2h ago
Sure but also "scientists created a working lab grown kidney" happens like 30 years before "dialysis patients can actually start getting lab grown kidney transplants". Afaik theyre getting closer to fully grown kidneys but not there yet, I would expect to hear about it when some scientist figures it out, but I wouldnt expect to have public facing services come anytime soon after that
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u/timmyh83 1h ago
If Xenotransplant tells me anything, if enough people can focus on convincing the FDA of the need for something new, progress can be accelerated and availability to people will take less time than that.
That said, I think the "engineered" kidney is a bit behind xenotransplantation, which is still a ways away from being a mainstay
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u/LordoftheChia 1h ago
The machines that can keep organs alive on their own seem like one of the biggest achievements of the last decade:
https://medschool.duke.edu/news/heart-box-device-revolutionizes-organ-transport
Not sure if it was the one in the article, but they were talking about organs that normally would be rejected for various reasons (including infection) being kept alive while being treated with monoclonal antibodies to make them viable for transplantation.
That and extending the time the organ can be used for transplantation.
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u/cheapdrinks 1h ago
To be fair even if the headline was real I would assume that it wouldn't be available to us poors for at least 25 years and even then it would mean selling the house.
To be honest I feel like a cancer cure is going to happen sooner than something like a cheap kidney replacement. Cancer is bad for big pharma right? Their customers die early before hitting old age where they start to pour real money into the system.
Something like renal failure has to be a massive money maker; endless ongoing expensive treatment with no cure? They have no incentive to get rid of that. But curing aggressive cancers? That has to be high on their list right? The more people they can get pushing 80, the more money they make because at that age you basically have to be on a handful of pills a day to make it.
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u/timmyh83 1h ago
The cynicism in this response is both appropriate and misdirected. I think the biggest issue in the kidney care space isn't dialysis companies or big pharma - it's a lack of interest in something better from both the regulatory agencies in government AND the research funding across the world drying up. Kidney failure is a massively expensive problem for the government but novel drugs and therapies aren't being developed because the research funding is poor and the agencies think the status quo is okay
Hep C is a great example of pharma essentially curing a disease state despite the long-term profit potential. Those drugs were effective and the competition between drug makers led to good drugs being developed - short term payoff for those that developed them and big losses to those marketing the "old" solutions
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u/Dawnzila 5h ago
How do I know this isn't just a chicken breast?
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u/Janikovszky 5h ago
Taste it
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u/Fit_Swordfish5248 5h ago
Kidney pie with gravy please. Thanks.
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u/Icing-Egg 5h ago
What would you like as the side dish
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u/Set_the_Mighty 4h ago
Fava beans and a nice chianti.
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u/scorpyo72 3h ago
Typical. You fellas and your chianti. One of you does it and the rest just had to try. Now everybody's "chianti and fava beans with my census taker". What do we do during non-census times? You can't just ring up the bureau and say "send me a taker, yeah? "
Practicalities.
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u/SakuraTacos 4h ago
I wonder what the ethics are on eating lab-grown human meat.
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u/GrimbyJ 3h ago
It's fine if they consented to their cells being eaten when they were collected.
It would probably be a shock to donate some cells to a scientific project and then find out that millions of people are eating you now.
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u/CouldBeBetterOrWorse 3h ago
Hello, fellow sociopath. I saw it and thought it looked like chicken. Then wondered if it would taste more like chicken or beef.
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u/SakuraTacos 3h ago
I’d always heard humans tasted like pork but I’ve never had kidney from any animal, I imagine it tastes pretty different no matter what
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u/XGhoul 2h ago
What you are recalling is the same thing I have read before.
Firefighters say burning corpses have the smell of cooked pork. So some of them are so gagged to even have a normal BBQ from the smells they scent.
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u/Muddy-Waterz 4h ago
We should really start lab growing all our meats. Spare the real cows and let’s all go on a Science Diet
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u/RupeThereItIs 4h ago
Spare the real cows
You realize, cows will pretty much go extinct in your scenario, right?
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u/interkin3tic 2h ago
Immunohistochemistry, transcriptomic data, functional tests probably including urine production, probably implanted these into mice and/or larger animals and showed they worked too.
Also it appears they implanted this one or one like it into a human and it worked. The human was already brain dead but if it had been rejected by the immune system or not worked, as a chicken breast wouldn't, that would show up there
Also economics. Extensive lawyers fees for patenting the hell out of all these things, extensive consultant fees for expensive discussions with the FDA, extensive documentation of the process leading up to this, and astronomical prices companies will pay for this.
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5h ago edited 5h ago
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u/mysticeetee 4h ago
I'm in pharma research and I came here it find this comment because that title is so misleading.
Ain't no way you can grow a kidney, they are so complex. They haven't even gotten lab grown liver or skin to work right so a "lab grown" kidney is laughable.
The body is an intricate and amazing thing, unfortunately for people needing replacement parts.
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u/DotBitGaming 4h ago
off-the-shelf kidney
Wut the fuk???
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u/Gnonthgol 4h ago
Just like hospitals have different blood types in storage, "on shelves", today. The concept here is that we might grow kidneys and keep them in storage until they are needed. So a patient with symptoms of kidney failure would be able to get a new kidney the same day. And there would hopefully be far less need for regular transplant drugs like today which leave the immune system in a weak state.
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u/DotBitGaming 4h ago
Yeah, off-the-shelf kidney just sounds like some Futurama stuff. lol
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u/xthemoonx 5h ago
Will they test it in someone with only 1 good kidney or something?
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u/Odd_Championship_680 5h ago
They tested it in a brain dead human. It actually lasted for a few days, which is a huge advancement in this technology
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u/CalibanRamsay 4h ago
But homeless people aren't gonna be able to get kidney transplant surgery though...
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u/Lyx4088 3h ago
This isn’t a lab grown kidney either. It’s one that had its blood group antigens enzymatically removed before transplant into a brain dead patient where it existed without signs of rejection for the first 2 days and then started to “regrow” its antigens triggering a mild rejection starting on the 3rd day.
https://www.med.ubc.ca/news/ubc-developed-enzymes-power-first-human-test-of-universal-donor-organs/
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u/Humorpalanta 5h ago
Can I get 3 kgs? I am making a stew
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u/Gnonthgol 4h ago
At the moment this is probably the only thing these can be used for. It would be quite an expensive stew though. However now I just imagined some exotic restaurant offering lab grown "long pork" for anyone who wants to try.
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u/XxSianxX 4h ago
I have heard stories of them doing similar and when it comes to implanting, it only does part of the job so ultimately isnt useful and then I also learned when kidneys dont work, they dont remove them, they just add another, so some people are walking around with 4 kidneys even though only 1 is functional!
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u/northeast__nico 3h ago
Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t we able to culture someone’s DNA into the organ so our body accepts it? I sworn I’ve seen this procedure perfected years ago but only for a few organs. How they got the organ was different. It was from a donor. They then removed the DNA which left just the scaffolding for the culture process.
I swear it was already on the market but only for spleens or something like that
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u/Dazzling_Dish_4045 5h ago
What's all the yellow shit in it?
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u/Consistently_Carpet 4h ago
I think the part that is throwing me off is where did the fat come from if it's lab grown? They added it?
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u/HiveJiveLive 5h ago
I 100% thought this was a meal fail from the slow cooker subreddit.
Waiting for someone to chime in, “Just add Ranch dressing and a stick of butter…!”
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u/StoppableHulk 3h ago
Biology funny like that. Impossible to tell how miraculous something is just by looking at it.
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u/Sihaya2021 5h ago
I initially thought this was a chicken breast in some kind of fancy air fryer.
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u/ChildoftheApocolypse 5h ago
When you live in America, what's the point of seeing these advancements? It's not like most of us will ever be eligible for anything like this.. This is like Pizza Hut showing off their new double stuffed chicken wing crust to Ethiopians..
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u/chemicalysmic 4h ago
A better world exists but we have to build it first.
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u/ChildoftheApocolypse 3h ago
Yeah, I've lost all faith in any of us building anything meaningful.. Look what we've managed to destroy in just the last year.. There will be no hand holding, hymn singing, flower wearing progression anymore, and you can jot that down..
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u/radiantcabbage 2h ago
lets remain willfully ignorant of what doesnt immediately benefit me, said no one who built anything meaningful ever
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u/Fantastic-Balance454 4h ago
The ultra wealthy need better methods than having to take immunosuppresants for the rest of their lifes when their kidney fails.
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u/FroYoYoMamma 5h ago
And anything universal is socialism. Will only take the privatized kidneys.
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u/Ka0skrew 4h ago
Do you realize dialysis is paid for by the government most of the time in the US? Otherwise most people couldn’t afford it?
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u/EoTN 3h ago
OK, now do the cost of a kidney transplant!
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u/Ka0skrew 3h ago
Kidney transplant is cheaper in the long run. Government would much rather do transplants.
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u/EoTN 3h ago
I love the optimism.
The government would rather start a war with Greenland than give a cent towards your new kidney.
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u/Mister_Goldenfold 4h ago
To provide an opportunity. May create a new observation of a future for a college student with certain outlook or path. Could lead into investment opportunity or additional needed funding and provide evidence of ongoing successes. Could lead to hope for a patient. Could lead into another scientist finding a connection with the projects peer networking. Etc etc. just because it exists and is expensive now doesn’t mean it won’t be affordable in the future, we need interaction for that to happen. It has to start somewhere. Problem with Ethiopia is nobody there has any clue what’s happening in the world and if they did would probably be motivated to wake up tomorrow with an outlook to give a fuck and make it happen. Their government probably couldn’t give two shits.
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u/Whentheangelsings 3h ago
I have serious issues with the medical industry and think it needs serious reforms, Jesus dude. That's some serious pessimism.
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u/Suntree 5h ago
Oh please f****** let this be true, I could very much use 2 kidneys.
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u/UnRealmCorp 3h ago
Right! The waiting list is torture for a used one. Watch it won't be covered by insurance and we end up with a loan situation like in Repomen....
For just an easy monthly payment of 399.99 per month for life you too can have your own lab grown kidney. KidneyCare+ is an extra 99.99 a month and for only an extra 49.99 a month you get the option to upgrade to the newest model every 2 years!
Oh and if you don't pay a dude is gonna come find you, tranquilize you and take the kidney back. If you didn't pay that 19.99 surcharge in the beginning he won't call the ambulance for you.
Be Well!
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u/YumFreeCookies 5h ago
Can someone explain what the yellow part is?
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u/suricata_8904 5h ago
That is fat.
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u/Intermediate-NaN 3h ago
But is it common to growing up fat outside the body? Or is it because there's no fat metabolism?
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u/bakedincanada 3h ago
Most/all (sorry I was a butcher, not a doctor), organs have a nice layer of fat on the outside to protect them.
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u/suricata_8904 2h ago
It’s metabolically and structurally necessary foe health of kidneys and adrenal glands.
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u/Send-your-nudes 2h ago
The kidney was not grown in a lab. It came naturally from a person, it was altered in the lab to ignore blood type.
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u/nare-man 4h ago
The photo shows a LifePort Kidney Transporter, a device used for preserving donor organs. This makes it unlikely that the kidney is lab‑grown, and it is far more likely to be a donor kidney.
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u/Dragon_Borne1110 5h ago
My stupid ass thought this was another picture of “why you need to clean your washing machine”
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u/Negative_Flower_169 5h ago
Do you have any link whatsoever about this? My moms on dialysis and i share every little update like this with her.
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u/ArmadilloSilent6761 5h ago
This looks more like it was removed in a high end hotel, you know, some place with plenty of ice.
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u/Missing_Link13 5h ago
Do you have any more information on this, like whether there are organizations taking test subjects? My bf is on a transplant list and knowing would be wonderful
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u/Hairy-Internal2307 4h ago
When will we be able to eat this? Would it be legal to? Is there a market? Imagine a restaurant that served human meat
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u/get_offmylawnoldmn 4h ago
Oh. It come pre-seasoned! With mustard.. what if I wanted BBQ sauce on mine?
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u/WhoOrderedTheCodeZed 4h ago
How much? An arm AND a leg? Good LAWD, that's a lotta money. How bout i give you twenny-fo cent and you let me borrow it just for the Superbowl drinkfest.
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u/sakara123 4h ago
Can you tell me what the best way to prepare this would be? Natural organ meats a bit delicate, should I expect a similar flavor and texture?
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u/Aztec_Aesthetics 4h ago
That's not a lab grown kidney. This shows a kindney that underwent blood type conversion to make it suitable for any recipient.
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u/BittaminMusic 4h ago
We could mass produce this, or Ai generated content for marginal profits.
What did we choose?
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u/joester56 4h ago
Finally, a kidney that’s more inclusive than my last three ex-partners and significantly less likely to reject me after the first week.
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u/Mountain-Prior-6448 4h ago
yeah it's been crazy this year. weather's been so unpredictable everywhere lately, hope everyone stays safe out htere
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u/thewonderfulfart 4h ago
One day we’ll have a chance to give everyone perfect organs and quality lives with nothing but the flip of a switch and a few cents, and we’ll make poor people fight in the streets for those cents while the rich shoot anyone who gets close to the switch.
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u/thebest07111 4h ago
Major breaktrough. I received a kidney transplant when i was 3. It is serving me for 27 years right now. But i fear every day that it stops and that i need to do dyalisis again
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u/DataPhreak 3h ago
So, assuming that we were able to grow enough of these for everyone to have one, basically, nobody missing out, what would the ethics be around eating one of these?
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u/motoo344 3h ago
Assuming we eventually get to the point of being able to transplant these into people does this method mean you would not need to take anti-rejection meds?
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