Focus on regeneration, stem cell cure

Ludhiana, March 10

Aykai Hospital, in collaboration with Fresenius Medical Care and Punjab Nephrology Society, organised a Continuous Medical Education (CME) Nephrology Update 2019 on ‘Technological Advancements in Nephrology, Urology and Renal Transplantation’ to discuss latest advancements in the field of kidney diseases and transplantation.

The CME was inaugurated by Professor Vivekanand Jha, president of International Society of Nephrology.

Eminent senior nephrology experts delivered lectures on the new developments in various fields of nephrology and renal transplantation.

The faculty included, Prof Vivekanand Jha, president of International Society of Nephrology, Prof OP Kalra, Vice-Chancellor of Pt Bhagwant Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Prof. Ashwani Gupta from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, Prof (General) AS Narula and (General) PP Varma, formerly HODs at Military Hospital (R&R), New Delhi, and Dr Raja Ramachandran from PGI, Chandigarh.

More than 100 nephrologists, physicians and urologists from Punjab, Chandigarh and J&K attended the CME.

Dr V Jha dwelt on kidney regeneration. He said stem cell treatment was an advanced technique for kidney regeneration. Several types of stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived cells, adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells were also applied for renal regeneration, he said.

Endogenous or lineage reprogrammed renal progenitor cells represent an attractive possibility for differentiation into multiple renal cell types. However, there are various factors like cost and duration of treatment, the same is not much practiced in India.

Dr Raja Ramachandran, a specialist in renal medicine and at present in Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, and did fellowship from the same institute, updated on pathogenesis/treatment of membranous nephropathy.

Dr Ajit Singh Narula from Fortis, having more than 30 years of teaching experience in various tertiary care hospitals of Armed Forces, including Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, and Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi, discussed on cardiac therapeutics in chronic kidney diseases.

Dr Ashwani Gupta, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, updated on the ABO incompatible transplantation: challenges and outcome.

He said the rising demand for kidney transplant and limited availability of ABO-compatible kidney donors, ABO incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplant was a viable option.

Prof OP Kalra, Vice-Chancellor of Pt Bhagwant Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, updated on chronic kidney disease — Unknown (CKDu).

While discussing ADPKD- Whats New, Dr PP varma said autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) was a multisystemic and progressive disorder characterised by cyst formation and enlargement in the kidney and other organs (liver, pancreas and spleen). Up to 50 per cent of patients with ADPKD require renal replacement therapy by 60 years of age.

Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, director, Aykai Hospital, and Urologist and Transplant Surgeon said the update was a great learning experience for nephrologists and clinicians and young doctors. — TNS