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.