Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stem Cell Treatment

The kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from your blood, which are then excreted in urine. Chronic kidney disease is the gradual loss of kidney function. When CKD reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes, and waste can build up in the body.

Conventional treatment for CKD mainly focuses on slowing the progression of kidney damage. CKD can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without dialysis or kidney transplant.

Here are the 5 stages of kidney disease:

• Stage 1 and 2: Mild kidney disease. Remaining kidney function is 60% or more.
• Stage 3: Moderate kidney disease. Remaining kidney function is 59% to 30%.
• Stage 4: Significant kidney disease. Remaining kidney function is 29% to 15%.
• Stage 5: Established kidney disease.

Conventional treatment options for kidney failure do not improve kidney function; they mainly help extend lifespan:

• Hemodialysis: A machine moves blood through an external filter to remove waste.
• Peritoneal dialysis: The abdominal lining filters blood inside the body to remove waste.
• Kidney transplant: Surgery to place a healthy kidney from a deceased or living donor.

Kidney disease is increasing. An estimated 2 million patients worldwide are affected by end-stage renal disease, increasing by about 5% to 7% per year. For hemodialysis, only around 35% of patients remain alive after five years of treatment. Access to donor kidneys remains limited and does not meet global demand.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for kidney disease have been widely studied in pre-clinical models, with promising findings. MSCs have immunomodulatory effects through secretion of regulatory cytokines, activation of regulatory immune cells, and increased cellular repair through anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic signaling, along with up-regulation of renal developmental markers. In summary, MSCs may help slow and delay progression of chronic kidney tissue damage (Chung BH. Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2019;38(2)).

Depending on the patient condition, MSCs may be applied by intravenous infusion (simple IV drip) or by catheter under the supervision of an interventional radiologist in a hospital setting. Catheter delivery allows precise targeting of where stem cells are placed, which may support better outcomes.

Who is a candidate for MSC treatment for CKD?

• Patients who may need to start dialysis and want to avoid dialysis.
• Patients currently receiving dialysis.
• Patients awaiting kidney transplant.

Expected outcomes after MSC treatment:

For Stage 4:

• Patients may prevent or postpone the need for dialysis.
• Less dependency on medications.
• Improved lifestyle.

For Stage 5:

• Patients may reduce the number of dialysis visits.
• Extended lifespan.
• Less dependency on medications.
• Improved lifestyle.

Catheter delivery of stem cells is one of our key approaches for precise placement in suitable kidney cases.