Nephrologist Karin Gerritsen from UMC Utrecht receives a grant of 1.8 million euros for the NanoKid research project from NWO. In this research, she is working on an innovative kidney-on-a-chip: a miniature model in which the most important kidney functions are replicated. The ultimate goal is to use this kidney-on-a-chip as a fundamental building block for a bioartificial kidney and improving kidney replacement therapies.
In the Netherlands, there are approximately 1.7 million people and worldwide more than 850 million people with chronic kidney failure. Although a kidney transplant is often the best treatment option, many patients remain dependent on dialysis due to a shortage of donors and other factors. Dialysis is a treatment in which the blood is purified of waste products and excess fluid. The treatment is very burdensome for patients and places great demands on healthcare.
Karin Gerritsen
In the NanoKid research project, Karin Gerritsen and her research team replicate the two most important functions of the kidney in the laboratory:
In addition, the team is developing microsensors to measure in real time how well these components function. By combining these components, a kidney-on-a-chip is created, which can be used for research and drug testing.
“With this research, we are laying the foundation for a modular kidney-on-a-chip,” Karin Gerritsen explains. “This setup makes it possible to develop applications step by step: from drug testing and disease modelling to improving standard dialysis, and ultimately possibly implantable biohybrid kidney modules. These are technological devices that combine living kidney cells with synthetic components to replicate the functions of a natural kidney.”
NanoKid is fundamental research and in the short term mainly delivers new knowledge and technology, such as a better understanding of how we can replicate kidney functions, a test platform for new medicines and building blocks for future improvements in kidney replacement therapies. It does not yet directly lead to a new treatment for patients. In the long term, NanoKid contributes to the development of a bioartificial kidney, a small device that replicates the functions of a natural kidney.
Main applicant: dr. K.G.F. Gerritsen (UMC Utrecht)
Co-applicants: dr. K.L. Cheng, prof. dr. ir. J. Huskens, prof. dr. R. Masereeuw, dr. S.M. Mihaila, prof. dr. ir. M. Odijk, prof. dr. A.D. van der Meer
NXTGEN Hightech program of NWO
