Scientists from canada and china have developed a "Universal Kidney".
This kidney can be transplanted into patients of any blood group, solving a major issue in kidney transplantation.
The breakthrough will reduce waiting lists and could potentially save millions of lives.
🚫 Blood Group Matching: A Major Challenge
In traditional kidney transplants, matching the donor and recipient’s blood types is essential.
A mismatch can lead to organ rejection, where the immune system attacks the transplanted kidney.
Patients are often given strong immunosuppressant drugs, which are costly and not always effective.
🩸 Type O: The Universal Donor
Blood type O is considered the universal donor.
A kidney from a type O donor can be transplanted into any patient – A, B, AB, or O.
However, O-type kidneys are extremely rare, and demand is high.
In the U.S., around 11 people die daily waiting for a kidney; millions in india are on dialysis due to donor shortages.
🧪 How the Universal Kidney Was Created
Dr. stephen Withers and his team at the university of british Columbia spent 10 years developing this kidney.
Kidneys of type A, B, or AB have specific sugar molecules (antigens) on their surface.
These antigens trigger the immune system, leading to rejection.
Scientists used special enzymes that act like "molecular scissors" to remove these antigens.
The result: a kidney that resembles type O, making it acceptable for any blood type.
🧫 Successful Testing on Brain-Dead Patient
The universal kidney was tested in a brain-dead person with family consent.
It functioned like a normal kidney—filtering blood and removing waste.
On day 3, a mild immune response was detected, but much lower than usual rejection cases.
This test proves it’s a promising solution for future kidney transplants.
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