MGH researchers create a rat kidney that works

Housed in an incubator, cells are being grown in a rat kidney at a Massachusetts General Hospital lab in Boston.

Removal of all living cells from a rat kidney leaves a collagen scaffolding, ready for repopulation with new kidney and vascular cells.

Pictured is a previously decellularized rat kidney after reseeding with endothelial cells, to repopulate the organ’s vascular system, and neonatal kidney cells.

Inside this bioreactor, a decellularized rat kidney is infused with endothelial cells, through the renal artery, and neonatal kidney cells, through the ureter.