Chronic kidney disease (CKD and chronic renal disease) means that there's damage to your kidneys and they aren't working as well as they should. Your kidneys are like a filter in your body — filtering out wastes, toxins and extra water from your blood. They also help with other functions like bone and red blood cell health. When your kidneys begin to lose their function, they can't filter waste, which means the waste builds up in your blood.

Kidney disease is called "chronic" because kidney function slowly decreases over time. CKD can lead to kidney failure, which is also called end-stage kidney disease. Not everyone with CKD will develop kidney failure, but the disease will often worsen without treatment. There's no cure for chronic kidney disease. 

Symptoms of chronic kidney disease

In the early stages of kidney disease, you usually don't have noticeable symptoms. 

As the disease worsens, symptoms may include:

• A need to pee more often.
• Tiredness, weakness, low energy level.
• Loss of appetite.
• Swelling of your hands, feet and ankles.
• Shortness of breath.
• Foamy or bubbly pee.
• Puffy eyes.
• Dry and itchy skin.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Numbness.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Muscle cramps.
• High blood pressure.
• Darkening of your skin.

Keep in mind that it can take years for waste to build up in your blood and cause symptoms.

Kidney stages

What is Renal failure ?

 Renal failure, is when your kidneys no longer work properly.

Your kidneys' main job is to clean your blood and make urine (wee). When the kidneys do not work properly, waste and fluid builds up in your body.

There are 2 main types of kidney failure:

1. acute kidney failure (also called acute renal failure, or acute kidney injury)
2. chronic kidney disease

Acute kidney failure

Acute kidney failure is the short-term loss of kidney function. It can develop quickly — over a few hours or days. It can be due to:

• an injury or illness — such as severe dehydration, or an infection
• drugs or poisons

In most cases, your kidney function will recover over time — usually fairly quickly over a period of days. In other cases, acute kidney failure can cause permanent damage and lead to chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney failure

Chronic kidney disease is when your kidneys have been damaged in a way that can't be reversed. Chronic kidney disease takes months or years to develop.

If chronic kidney disease progresses, it can lead to chronic kidney failure.

Potential of Stem Cells in Kidney Disease

Mesenchymal stem cells, with their remarkable ability to repair damaged tissues, serve as the body's innate defense against kidney damage. When administered to patients, these cells have the power to shield the kidneys from injury and expedite the healing process. The efficacy of stem cell therapy in addressing acute and chronic kidney diseases has been substantiated through numerous preclinical studies. Mesenchymal stem cells exhibit a unique ability to target and home in on areas requiring repair within the body. For patients experiencing renal failure, these stem cells have shown promise in mitigating tissue damage, fostering healing, and initiating the regeneration process. Clinical trials have further demonstrated the safety of MSC transplantation for patients with kidney disease.