Scientists create human kidneys from stem cells

TELEGRAPH: The artificial organs were created in a laboratory using human amniotic fluid and animal foetal cells.

They are currently half a centimetre in length – the same size as kidneys found in an unborn baby.

Scientists at Edinburgh University hope they will grow into full-size organs when transplanted into a human.

The breakthrough could lead to patients creating their own replacement organs without the risk of rejection, a common complication in transplant procedures.

Physiologist Jamie Davies, a professor of experimental anatomy at Edinburgh University, said: "It sounds a bit science fiction-like but it's not.

"The idea is to start with human stem cells and end up with a functioning organ.

"We have made pretty good progress with that. We can make something that has the complexity of a normal, foetal kidney."

The research team hope that doctors will eventually be able to collect amniotic fluid, which surrounds the growing embryo in the womb, when a baby is born.

This will then be stored by scientists in case that person develops kidney disease later in life. The fluid can then be used to create a matching kidney.

Creating an organ using a patient's own stem cells solves the problem of having to use powerful immunosuppressant drugs to stop the body rejecting a another person's kidney.

Professor Davies said the technology could be ready for use on humans in around 10 years.