The shortage of donor organs throughout the world has become a grave problem and patients in Europe, Asia and the US are also affected by it. As a result, scientists throughout the world are focussing on creating artificial organs that are secure and economical.

The development of optimal bio-artificial organs that can literally be purchased off the shelf and securely implanted is being carried out by the best scientific institutions and private businesses in the world.

The following are a few of the most promising artificial organs initiatives that might materialize in the upcoming years:

Artificial Kidney:
A bio-artificial kidney is being developed at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as a long-term treatment for kidney failure. The bio-artificial kidney is made up of two modules which are the size of a coffee cup and function as a unit to eliminate waste. According to the UCSF researchers, any hospital with a qualified transplant surgery team can do the procedure once the bio-artificial kidney device is made widely available.

Total Artificial Heart:
When a heart stops beating, a total artificial heart (TAH) can act as a temporary replacement. BiVACOR, a US-based business, has developed a fully artificial heart that is intended to replace the patient's failing heart entirely.

Artificial Liver
Clinical trials of a bio-artificial liver are underway which could eventually provide patients with liver failure an alternative to transplantation. The researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed an innovative device, known as the Mayo Spheroid Reservoir Bio-artificial Liver (SRBAL), that has been demonstrated in pigs in a lab setting to lessen the severity of liver disease and increase survival.

Bio-artificial organs can be a solution to perennial organ shortage and they can save the lives of patients with end-stage diseases.