Help us advance the artificial kidney to clinical trials
Ways to support The Kidney Project
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Direct donation to UCSF The Kidney Project
Make a gift today!Accelerate The Kidney Project's fundraising to unlock new phases and reduce the time to clinical trials.
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Purchase from the Store
Shop MerchandiseWhat better way to contribute than purchasing merchandise from The Kidney Project Store to contribute to the cause while also advocating and sharing with other people when wearing a cool t-shirt or hat.
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Mantis BBQ Sauce
Purchase your Mantis BBQInspired by our son and co-founders kidney disease, Mantis BBQ contributes 10% of sales to The Kidney Project. Mantis BBQ offers a variety of BBQ sauces and seasonings designed to enhance foods versus overpowering flavors. Delicious with anything cooked on the grill, smoker and more, the sauces and seasonings can also be used in dips, Bloody Mary’s, as marinades and even on ice cream!
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Start your fundraiser campaign
Learn how to start your fundraiser campaignShare your passion with your community by creating your own personal fundraising page. It’s an amazing way to engage your nearest and dearest in The Kidney Project cause.
Creating a bioartificial kidney as a permanent solution to kidney failure
The Kidney Project is a national research and development collaboration led by bioengineer Shuvo Roy, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco and William H. Fissell, MD, at Vanderbilt University, to develop the first-ever surgically implantable artificial kidney.
The project aims to offer individuals facing kidney failure an alternative to dialysis — enabling patients to lead a more mobile lifestyle that includes travel, a more liberal diet, and relief from the stress and uncertainty of waiting for a transplant.
Engineered to perform the critical functions of the natural kidney, the bioartificial kidney is powered by the body’s blood pressure, with no external connections or tethers. It is designed to provide continuous treatment, filtering the blood and balancing fluid and electrolyte levels 24 hours a day, and will not require immunosuppression medications.
Donate on the UCSF | Kidney Project Site
KidneyX Phase II Winner
Immunoprotective Bioreactor for Kidney Cell Encapsulation. This device mimics the native kidney’s nephron architecture by combining a mechanical hemofilter with a biologically inspired bioreactor
The device is about the size of a coffee cup
The bioartificial kidney features a compact hemofilter, or blood filter, made from semiconductor silicon membranes that are efficient enough to use the body’s blood pressure to perform filtration, without pumps or a power supply.
The hemofilter is connected to a bioreactor housing cultured kidney cells that reabsorbs salts and water, regulates blood pressure, and produces vitamin D. This two-stage system replicates key kidney functions, like water balancing and metabolism regulation, that conventional dialysis does not. Incorporating physical and biochemical sensors, the device will be able to detect malfunctions and monitor blood flow, urea clearance, and electrolyte balance.
Information on device performance and the patient’s health status can be wirelessly sent to the patient and healthcare provider.
Support The Kidney Project Today
