Home » Health » Better insight into kidney stones with ‘kidney on a chip’

Better insight into kidney stones with ‘kidney on a chip’

ENGINEERINGNET.BE – About 12% of people suffer from kidney stones and the condition is becoming more common worldwide. In a large proportion of patients it is even a recurring problem. Therefore, it is important to understand precisely the chemical processes behind the formation of kidney stones.

“The kidney is still a kind of black box for us,” said researcher Burak Eral. “We can measure what goes in and what comes out, but it’s hard to really see inside what’s happening.”

The researchers therefore developed a microfluidic platform, a so-called ‘kidney on a chip’, to be able to view kidney stone formation on a microscopic scale.

The kidney on a chip actually consists of a narrow channel with two entrances: one with a fluid similar to the fluid in our kidneys, and one with oil. After a drop of renal fluid is pumped into the canal, a drop of oil is added.

In this way, the renal fluid droplets are separated from each other, creating microscopic renal environments. The tube and the droplets are so small that even the smallest crystal formation of a kidney stone can be seen with a microscope.

By adjusting the composition of the kidney fluid, the researchers were able to determine exactly which factors influence the formation of kidney stones. Changes in the pH value and in the concentration of magnesium ensured that the formation was delayed or even prevented.

Researcher Fatma Ibis: “It is the first time that this type of experiment has been done on such a small scale, which makes it possible to observe the first signs of crystal formation. On a larger scale, it is only possible to observe the growth of kidney stones that have already formed. So now we can really see the direct effects of changes in renal fluid.”

The researchers used only the most essential ingredients to mimic kidney fluid, in reality kidney fluid is much more complex. Eral: “The next step is to use artificial urine, for example, and make the system more complex.”

Ultimately, the researchers believe it will be possible to use the mechanism with patients’ urine to determine a specific treatment for their condition.

Ibis: “Many factors play a role in the formation of kidney stones, and these factors differ from patient to patient. Personalized treatment would be an efficient way to help patients with kidney stones.”

– .

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.