ABSTRACT
The kidney is unique among body organs in that it is the first organ for which maintenance replacement therapy has become available and widespread. At the time of this writing, approximately a quarter million people in the United States receive maintenance dialysis as a lifesaving treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [1]. Despite its successes in preventing immediate death from volume overload, hyperkalemia, and uremia, one should not confuse the ex vivo application of a technology developed for chemical purification with complete organ replacement.
