By Bill Peckham
The videos are no longer available at the links in this post,
instead all the videos are embedded and can be watched at the CIMIT
blog in this post. The five videos are embedded in the same order as they were presented in 2008. My review of the videos are all listed in the Future of Dialysis Category on DSEN.
On Saturday I wrote The future of dialysis: T and G membranes about CIMIT's forum: Quest for a Wearable Kidney: Will Nanotechnology Make a Difference? . The forum is broken up into five video segments; this week I'm reviewing one video segment a day. On Monday video one CKD overview video: Dr. Bonvertre. Tuesday video two Dialysis: a future with nanotechnology. Wednesday Dialysis nanotechnology forum, video 3.
Today the fourth video. This 20 minute video features Jeffrey Borenstein, PhD, Director, Biomedical Engineering Center; Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory; Program Leader for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering and Draper Laboratory Site Miner.
This was hard to follow. Not being able to see his slides was a real disadvantage and it sounded like some interesting slides. CIMIT should put the PowerPoints up with the videos. What I understood was this research grew out of a project in tissue engineering. While that technology is a decade or more away CIMIT saw that micro-fabrication could be used to improve dialysis in the near(er) term.
There was talk of (spelling questionable) endothelization, poly glicerol serveca, micro-capulari network, endotheilial, optimizing the diffusion distances for middle molecule clearance, mathematical modeling. I can't say I understand all that was said - if anyone took more away from it please comment. Sounded like they were looking at the unique properties of the cells that line veins and arteries for use in these devices but I wasn't clear on the approach.
There was also talk of a complete renal replacement system using a cell based loop of henley. I'd like to hear more about that and will look for information to share. After watching this I had the impression I get when I go to national renal industry meetings, I feel hopeful because of the brain power being brought to bear on the challenge of improving the lives of people with CKD. It'll take a lot of brain power to meet the challenges to make some kind of continuous filtering artificial nephron that works - it sounds like that is happening. Thanks CIMIT for bringing us this new kidney research.
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