Design and Implementation of a Universal Donor Kidney

The mismatch between demand for donor kidneys and available supply continues to grow despite better treatment of kidney disease and innovative efforts to expand the supply of human donors. Stem cell and xenograft technologies are exciting, but scientific challenges remain. We developed a hybrid device composed of silicon nanopore membranes and living kidney cells to filter blood and concentrate filtered wastes into urine. Here, we present the rationale for design and technology choices and describe progress toward the goal of an implantable BioArtificial Kidney.