It's a list no one wants to be on. More than 90,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, but one doctor hopes to get that list down to zero.
The numbers can be overwhelming, but what's inside this petri dish could change everything.
"It has never been done before," Roger De Filippo, MD, Director of the Saban Research Institute said.
Stored inside a lab at the children's Hospital in Los Angeles are stem cells taken from amniotic fluid, which surrounds fetuses in the womb. Dr. Roger De Filippo is using the cells to heal damaged kidneys.
"What we found was the cells were able to regenerate the normal tissue in the kidney and become part of the kidney," Dr. De Filippo said.
The stem cells can actually help a dying kidney fix itself.
"In this flask here you have a number of regenerated kidneys," Dr. De Filippo explained.
The Doctor believes the same stem cells could be injected directly into a patient's diseased organ.
"Become part of that organ, even regenerate the necessary building blocks of that organ," Dr. De Filippo said.
It could change the future for people suffering from acute kidney disease, diabetes and genetic disorders.
"Slow down the progression of the disease pretty significantly," Dr. De Filippo stated.
Don't confuse embryonic with amniotic. The stem cells used to regenerate kidneys are from fluids collected after childbirth. There is an endless supply of them. This type of cell can not only be used for kidneys, but they can adapt to any other type of organ as well.
The numbers can be overwhelming, but what's inside this petri dish could change everything.
"It has never been done before," Roger De Filippo, MD, Director of the Saban Research Institute said.
Stored inside a lab at the children's Hospital in Los Angeles are stem cells taken from amniotic fluid, which surrounds fetuses in the womb. Dr. Roger De Filippo is using the cells to heal damaged kidneys.
"What we found was the cells were able to regenerate the normal tissue in the kidney and become part of the kidney," Dr. De Filippo said.
The stem cells can actually help a dying kidney fix itself.
"In this flask here you have a number of regenerated kidneys," Dr. De Filippo explained.
The Doctor believes the same stem cells could be injected directly into a patient's diseased organ.
"Become part of that organ, even regenerate the necessary building blocks of that organ," Dr. De Filippo said.
It could change the future for people suffering from acute kidney disease, diabetes and genetic disorders.
"Slow down the progression of the disease pretty significantly," Dr. De Filippo stated.
Don't confuse embryonic with amniotic. The stem cells used to regenerate kidneys are from fluids collected after childbirth. There is an endless supply of them. This type of cell can not only be used for kidneys, but they can adapt to any other type of organ as well.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.