>>> A MEDICAL MARVEL IS TAKING PLACE JUST OUTSIDE OF PITT BERG AND THE PERFECT STORY FOR NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTH. A FISH IS THE KEY TO GROWING AN ORGAN. AS SOON AS WE HEARD ABOUT THIS, WE WERE HOOKED. DAISY
TOOK A TRIP TO INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA WHERE THE RESEARCH IS TAKING PLACE. >> I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE SCIENCE FICTION, BUT SCIENCE IS GOING ORGANS AND AT THIS. ULTIMATELY, IT COULD BE
POSSIBLE TO GROW THESE ORGAN TO FULL-SIZE AND TRANSPLANT THEM INTO PATIENT >> Reporter: YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT. THIS IS A TYPE OF RESEARCH BEING DONE AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. IT IS THERE THAT ALTERNATIVE
TREATMENTS FOR KIDNEY DISEASE ARE BEING FOUND. THEY ARE BEING CREATED USING FISH. WHY IS ZEBRAFISH? >> ONE OF THE STRENGTHS IS THE EMBRYOS AND LARVA ARE TRANSPARENT. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH THE SKIN AND
MUSCLE TO LOOK AT THE ORGANS UNDERNEATH. >> Reporter: FISH HAVE SIMILAR ORGANS TO HUMANS. AND WITH 70% OF HUMAN GENES IN FISH, THIS MAKES THEM A VALUABLE MODEL FOR HUMAN ORGAN REGENERATION. >> THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
REGENERATE A LOT OF ORGANS. IT MAKES IT INTERESTING AND HOPEFULLY HELPING US UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN REGENERATE THOSE TISSUES. >> Reporter: A SINGLE FEMALE FISH CAN LAY 200 EGGS A WEEK. THE RX, THE MORE EXPERIMENTS.
>> WHAT WE DO IS WE PUT A MALE AND FEMALE FISH TOGETHER AND OVERNIGHT WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON THEY LAY EGGS. >> Reporter: THEY ARE THEN COLLECTED FOR DIFFERENT STUDIES. >> WHAT IS IT DUE TO THE
EMBRYO? DOES IT AFFECT THE KIDNEY ARE NOT? IF IT DOES, THAT MEANS OUR PROTEIN IS DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND BACK PLUS INFORMATION AND WHAT PROTEINS ARE AFFECTING THAT PROCESS. PEOPLE HAVE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME THAT STEM CELLS
EXIST IN THE KIDNEY, BUT THEY CANNOT ISOLATE THEM. >> Reporter: THESE FISH CREATED BY SCIENTISTS WERE MODIFIED WITH A SPECIAL GENE TO ISOLATE THOSE CELLS UNDER A MICROSCOPE. THEY ARE GREEN AND GLOWING AND MAKING THEM EASY TO LOCATE.
>> NOT ONLY WERE WE ABLE TO FIND THE STEM CELLS, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO ISOLATE THEM IN ONE FISH AND INJECTED INTO ANOTHER FISH. WE SHOWED THAT THE CELLS WE TRANSPLANTED ACTUALLY TURNED INTO NEW KIDNEY
TISSUE AND THAT IS ONE OF THE EXCITING RESULTS. THESE ARE THE STEM CELLS THAT CAN MAKE NEW KIDNEY TISSUE IN ANOTHER FISH. >> Reporter: BUT THEY ARE DOING THE RESEARCH ALONE. >> STUDENTS WANT TO GET THAT
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT BUILDS THEIR FUTURE. >> Reporter: LIKE JESSICA WHO WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE HONORS RESEARCH PROGRAM AND HAS BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THE DOCTOR FOR TWO YEARS NOW. >> REGENERATION IS FASCINATING
TO ME. HIS CLASS WAS ALL OF THAT. >> Reporter: TYPICALLY AVAILABLE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, UNDERGRADS CAN APPLY WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM IN THE LAB. >> FASCINATING. >> IT’S SO COOL THAT DAISY
GOT TO GO TO THE RESEARCH LAB.
