Update 10/5/16: Some disappointing news via Kidney Buzz about the “wearable kidney” and it being delayed by a lack of funding. Read it here at Kidney Buzz.
From the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Advocacy Committee program…
“There is some much going on in the kidney world. Out here in San Fransisco at UCSF Dr. Roy is in phase 2 of the artificial kidney, where no immunosuppressive drugs will be needed and no matching. This will be a game changer and clinical trails may start as soon as 2017/2018. You can follow their work on Facebook on “The Kidney Project” page. I spoke with Dr Roy and this work gives me such hope that we can reduce or remove the transplant wait list. We are not talking science fiction far off in to the future either. “
This is a HUGE step forward for us.
I found this link for the Kidney Project that may be a better description of the work Dr. Roy is doing. It is fascinating. Also, here is Dr. Roy’s profile and description of his academic works.
Meanwhile there is ongoing work nationwide on a kidney created using your cells and stem cells to “grow” a kidney for you exclusively. Again, no anti-rejection drugs would be needed because it is “your” kidney.
SEE the other related post, “Dialysis and Hope for Kidney Patients – Update”
DevonTexas
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About DevonTexas
I am a person with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) which means my kidneys don't work. Forty or so years ago that would have been a death sentence but today there is Dialysis which means I could be hooked up to a machine that would clean my blood as the kidneys should. Three days a week, I went to a dialysis center and had too very large needles stuck in my arm to remove and replace my blood as it passed through a process where it was cleaned and the fluid was removed, a process taking a little over four hours each time.
In November 2017, I received a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. My life went into overdrive. With a "new" functioning kidney, I no longer had to go to a dialysis center and my days were not open to be lived rather than recovering from dialysis which meant dialyzing for three days and resting for 4 days a week. I work full-time and often 50 hours per week. It is something I never imagined. I highly recommend it! HeeHee
I want to advance knowledge about dialysis and transplant so that others can learn from my experience and mistakes. We shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel, eh? There is so much to be learned and experienced about our predicament. There are vast resources available to support us and enrich our lives but many patients don't know about them. There are also many issues that we have to deal with whether we want to or not. So I blog about them in www.DevonTexas.com
All comments are confidential until I approve them. If you don't want your comment public, let me know and I will respect that. So, feel free to leave a comment.
I also blog in LegacyTales in WordPress if you are interested in the ramblings of a Old Man. Give a peek and let me know what you think. https://legacytales.wordpress.com/
Enjoy.
DevonTexas 
I’m in Stage 4 GFR 23, how soon should I think about Dialysis?
First, you should have a nephrologist and they can tell you most specifically about when to start. In my case, I knew a year or so before I began dialysis that I would need it. I had time to get an A/V fistula and allow it to “mature”. So, when it was time to begin dialysis I could use the access.
Based on that experience, I can offer a bit of advice. I waited far too long to begin dialysis. I thought I was doing something that would benefit me but I was wrong. I should have started a year earlier and not waited so long. In that year my blood became so polluted with by-products that my failing kidneys couldn’t process. As a result, I suffered needlessly. I was constantly cold, muddle-brained, stiff muscles, itchy from phosphorus overload, dangerously high potassium, etc. It was all because I thought I was getting away with something. I wasn’t.
You are obviously aware of your GFR and that is important to do. Keep at it. Ask the doctor about your pending transition from CKD to ESRD and when best to start dialysis. Keep in mind you can do dialysis anywhere you like. The doctor may have a suggestion but visit several places if they are available. Talk to the staff, some patients if you can, ask current dialysis patients about their suggestions, etc.
Keep asking good questions as you are. Remember there are various forms of treatment available to you. Read up on Modalities. Best of luck to you.
DevonTexas