Diabetes: they design a novel treatment to restore kidney function | The breakthrough was made by researchers from Conicet and the National University of Moreno

2023-10-03 02:30:14

Experts from the National University of Moreno (UNM) designed a novel treatment to combat kidney damage caused by diabetes. Through cells extracted from the muscle fiber (selected for their high regenerative capacity), this treatment will enable the regeneration of the affected kidney tissue. Currently, it is estimated that there are 30 thousand patients on dialysis and 5 thousand waiting for a kidney transplant in Argentina. If the intervention of local researchers is implemented, chronic kidney conditions that can lead to human death can be avoided.

“This is a project that investigates a stem cell therapy for the type of pathology that is diabetic nephropathy. Diabetes can cause many complications and one of them is kidney damage. therefore, The goal is to develop a treatment to restore the function of the kidneys and is changed negatively as a result of the disease.“, pointed out Andres OrquedaConicet researchers at UNM.

The kidneys are two glandular organs located between the muscles of the back and abdomen. Its main function is to filter toxins produced by the body’s metabolism and eliminate them through urine.. They also maintain water and salt balance by acting on blood pressure. In addition, they help the production of red blood cells and maintain bone health.

Super powerful egg

To save the kidneys and restore their function, Specialists plan to provide a type of stem cells called MUSE and it stands for multiplicity. This means that they can become any of the other cells found in an adult and have no side effects.

In this sense, there are two other types of pluripotent cells: embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced cells (iPSC). Although the former are extracted from embryos and the latter are created artificially in the laboratory, both can form tumors..

“In the scientific literature, studies using ESC or iPSC cells are more common. However, by causing tumors, the remedy can be worse than the disease. Unlike induced or pluripotent embryos, UXO is advantageous because there is no possibility of developmental conditions and they remain in the body throughout life” Orqueda insisted.

Here interest and its potential, since In a possible therapy, MUSE cells can be extracted from the same person you want to treat.. Although they have been used in other types of treatments to repair heart tissue after a heart attack, studies on kidney damage are few.

The project, which is carried out within the UNM Academic Program for Research and Innovation in Technology, is funded by the Scientific Research Council of the Buenos Aires region.

silent disease

In Argentina, one in eight people may have chronic kidney disease. Although it can occur at any age and for many reasonsmost cases occur in individuals with diabetes and high blood pressure. Although there are different degrees of severity defined according to the value of the kidney filter, In many cases the disease has no symptomseven in its most advanced stage.

“Basically, what the kidney does is filter the contents of the blood and remove metabolic waste from the body into the urine. Therefore, when there is kidney damage, the waste is not disposed of properly and remains in the blood. therefore, What we want to study is stem cell therapy that detects early kidney damage that may be chronic and does not lead to stroke or transplant.“, pointed out Orqueda.

Dialysis is an artificial process by which waste is removed that does not eliminate urine and affects the quality of life.. “Thinking about a therapy that allows kidney function to be restored naturally, the idea is to attack this kidney disease early based on the management of these proliferative cells,” revealed the scientist, one of the leaders of the work.

According to the World Health Organization, the number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. In addition to kidney problems, The disease can cause blindness, heart attack, stroke and amputation of the lower limbs.. In this case, eating healthy, exercising regularly and avoiding tobacco use can prevent diabetes or delay its onset.