After nearly a decade of continuous work, the team successfully converted a kidney from blood type A to blood type O using special enzymes that remove the sugar molecules (antigens) that determine blood type. Researchers say this method could enable the production of "universal" kidneys that can be accepted by any patient, regardless of their blood type.
The modified organ was tested on a brain-dead recipient after his family agreed to participate in the research, and the kidney continued to function inside the body for several days.
"This is the first time we've seen this happen in a human model," says biochemist Stephen Withers of the University of British Columbia in Canada. "It's an experiment that gives us important insights into how to improve transplant outcomes in the future."
"The enzymes we use are like tiny molecular scissors," Weathers explains. "They remove the antigens that give the kidney its blood type, converting it to the neutral type O. It's like removing the red paint from a car to reveal its neutral base layer, so the immune system doesn't recognize it as a foreign body."
Despite initial success, researchers faced subsequent challenges. The transplanted kidney began to re-express markers of blood type A after the third day, triggering a mild but less severe immune response than usual, with signs that the body was trying to adapt to the new organ.
It's worth noting that the organ transplant system currently suffers from a severe shortage of blood type O kidneys. Patients with this blood type must wait for a donor with the same blood type, even though blood type O kidneys can be transplanted into people with other blood types. These patients represent more than half of those on waiting lists.
Although it is possible to transplant kidneys from different blood types using special medical procedures to suppress the immune system, these operations are expensive, complex, and risky, require a long preparation time, and are often performed only in limited cases with living donors.
Researchers hope that this development, alwith other efforts such as the use of genetically modified pig kidneys and theimprove survival rates for patients around the world.
The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering
development of new antibodies, will help
reduce waiting lists and improve survival rates for patients around the world.
The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Bio
medical Engineering.
