All articles tagged with #universal kidney
Scientists have engineered a 'universal' kidney that can be accepted across blood types by using enzymes to strip away donor antigens and convert the kidney to a type O-like profile. The enzyme-converted kidney survived for days in a brain-dead recipient, signaling progress toward reducing transplant wait times, though long-term viability and immune responses remain challenges that need further work.
Researchers report converting a type A kidney to type O using antigen-stripping enzymes, creating an enzyme-converted kidney (ECO) that could be accepted by any recipient. In a brain-dead donor model, the organ functioned for days, with an immune response emerging by day three but appearing milder than typical rejection. While this proves feasibility, long-term viability and safety before human trials remain major hurdles. Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering (2025), the work could help reduce the kidney shortage—especially for type O donors—alongside other approaches like pig kidneys and new antibodies; about 11 people die daily in the US waiting for kidney transplants.
Scientists have developed a 'universal' kidney that can potentially be accepted by any blood type, which could significantly reduce transplant waiting times and save lives, by using enzymes to strip away blood type markers from donor kidneys. The research, tested in a human model, marks a major step toward more flexible and accessible organ transplants, although challenges remain before human trials.