PhD ceremony Ms. P.Y.W. Dankers: Renal regenerative medicine. Bioengineering of cell-based membranes and anti-inflammatory drug delivery
| When: | Mo 01-07-2013 at 12:45 |
PhD ceremony: Ms. P.Y.W. Dankers, 12.45 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen
Dissertation: Renal regenerative medicine. Bioengineering of cell-based membranes and anti-inflammatory drug delivery
Promotor(s): prof. M.J.A. van Luyn
Faculty: Medical Sciences
Deterioration of kidney function is typically slow but progressive, and occurs in every person upon aging. Fortunately, not everybody develops chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kidney disease is often diagnosed in a late stage, and not until renal function has dropped below 10%, replacement therapy is needed. Kidney transplantation provides a solution for long-term replacement of kidney function. Nevertheless, because of the shortage of sufficient donors, most end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receive dialysis therapy. Dialysis is life-saving at short term, but falls short of long-term efficacy and most dialysis patients remain in poor health. Consequently, innovative strategies towards new kidney therapies for patients with CKD or ESRD, based on regenerative medicine approaches are needed.
In this thesis we explore two renal regenerative medicine approaches. The first strategy is based on the amelioration of dialysis using cell-based membranes to be applied in a bioartificial kidney in conjunction with the conventional dialysis apparatus. We introduced new, synthetic membranes and investigated the source of human epithelial cells and endothelial cells to be applied on these membranes. This strategy ultimately aims at a solution for ESRD patients. The second approach consists of the local, intrarenal drug delivery of a proteinaceous anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic drug from a hydrogel carrier implanted under the kidney capsule. This may in future be applied for kidney transplantation patients, who develop post-operative ischemia/reperfusion injury and/or severe inflammation leading to graft failure and/or rejection.