Health and Tech: Artificial organs the next big thing

Top research institutions and private companies in the world are involved in developing ideal bio-artificial organs that can be literally bought off the shelf and safely implanted.

Hyderabad: Patients suffering from end-stage kidney ailments in Hyderabad typically have to wait anywhere from three-five years for a donor kidney from a brain-dead person. Based on the data available with the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), 1.8 lakh-2 lakh persons suffer from kidney failure every year, while the average number of kidney transplants taken up in India is close to 7,500.

An estimated 2 lakh patients die of liver failure annually in India, of which five-10 per cent can be saved through a timely liver transplant. Hence, about 25,000-30,000 liver transplants are needed annually in the country, but only about 1,500 are taken up every year. About 50,000 persons suffer from heart failure annually, but close to 250 heart transplants are performed every year in India.

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The severe shortage of donor organs is a universal phenomenon, with patients in Europe, Asia and the US also facing a similar situation. Despite organ transplantation emerging as a safe option, due to the perennial shortage of donor organs, it has become limited in its accessibility.

As a result, medical researchers and engineers are looking at recent advances in biomaterials, innovation in manufacturing durable devices and cell-based therapies to develop safe bio-artificial organs that can be transplanted safely in patients.

Over the years, developing safe and affordable artificial organs has become a holy grail for scientists across the globe. Top research institutions and private companies in the world are involved in developing ideal bio-artificial organs that can be literally bought off the shelf and safely implanted.

While the development of artificial prosthetics and bionics has given a lot of hope by restoring the functionality in the movement of the limbs among amputees, a bio-artificial kidney, heart or even a liver is yet to be developed fully.

Here are some of the most promising artificial organs initiatives that could become a reality in the coming years:

Artificial kidneys

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has been developing a bio-artificial kidney as a permanent solution for kidney failure. The bio-artificial kidney, the size of a coffee cup, consists of two modules that work together to get rid of wastes. The bio-artificial kidney implantation procedure will be similar to kidney transplant surgery and will require a hospital stay and general anaesthesia. “Once the bio-artificial kidney device is available publicly, the procedure can be completed at any hospital with a trained transplant surgical team,” the UCSF researchers said on their kidney project website.

Total Artificial Heart (TAH)
A total artificial heart (TAH) is a mechanical pump that can replace a heart temporarily when it stops beating. A US-based company, BiVACOR, has developed a total artificial heart that has been designed to take over the complete function of the patient’s failing heart.

The TAH is designed to be a long-term device that can replace the total function of the patient’s native heart. “The small, compact device uses proven rotary blood pump technology to provide the required cardiac output. An external controller and batteries provide power to the internal device via a percutaneous driveline,” the BiVACOR researchers said.

Implantation of a total artificial heart is a treatment option for patients with end-stage heart failure, who need support while on a heart transplant waiting list or who do not qualify for a transplant.

Artificial liver

Multiple research institutions in the world are pursuing research in developing bio-artificial liver that can safely replace the original organ. Researchers from Mayo Clinic are planning clinical trials of a bio-artificial liver that might eventually provide an alternative to transplantation for patients with liver failure. Known as the Mayo Spheroid Reservoir Bio-artificial Liver (SRBAL), the novel device has been shown to reduce the severity of liver disease and improve survival in laboratory testing on pigs.