Scientists create human kidney-like mini organs using pig kidneys

American and European scientists claim to have developed a method to create human kidney-like miniature organs (organoids) using pig kidneys, marking a potential breakthrough in regenerative medicine — though they emphasize that further research is still needed.

According to medical sources, experts have described this development as a major advancement in the treatment of kidney diseases, saying it could revolutionize kidney therapy and transplantation in the future.

The Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), in collaboration with other Spanish institutions and American researchers, has developed a new technique that enables the mass production of human kidney organoids.

These miniature kidney-like structures were produced from human stem cells and then implanted into pig kidneys, where they began to function similarly to natural kidneys.

Stem cells are specialized cells found throughout the human body, with embryonic stem cells being the most potent. They have the unique ability to transform into any type of organ or tissue. Using these cells, scientists first created miniature kidney structures known as organoids, and then combined them with pig kidneys.

Kidney organoids mimic the structure and function of real kidneys on a small scale. While they are not full-sized organs, they are invaluable for medical research, drug testing, and understanding kidney repair mechanisms.

Until now, producing them affordably and consistently at a large scale had been difficult — but scientists now claim to have overcome this challenge.

During the research, the organoids were implanted into living pig kidneys placed on a machine perfusion system, a device that keeps kidneys functioning outside the body by supplying oxygen, much like blood circulation.

Over a period of 24 to 48 hours, the human cells survived, integrated well, and were not rejected by the host tissue.

The kidneys also continued to function normally throughout the experiment.

Experts believe that in the future, this technique could allow doctors to use pre-repaired kidneys for transplantation — that is, donor kidneys could be enhanced with stem cells before being transplanted into patients.