Stem Cells and Kidney Regeneration

Because of the few effective treatments for many chronic kidney diseases, increasing consideration has been given to new regenerative therapies using stem cells. Recent advances in developmental biology and stem cell biology have led to the increased availability of renal stem/progenitor cells from multiple sources, including their isolation from embryonic and adult kidneys, and to the generation of kidney lineage cells by the directed differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), or by the cellular reprogramming of fully differentiated adult renal cells or across mature lineages. Cell therapies using renal stem/progenitor cells derived from adult and embryonic kidneys or differentiated from ESCs/iPSCs have been investigated in kidney disease models. The reconstruction of transplantable kidney organs is also being attempted using ESC/iPSC-derived kidney lineage cells. Cancer stem cells, which are thought to initiate and maintain malignant tumors, have been identified in renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and in Wilms’ tumor (WT), the most common pediatric renal malignancy. The development of regenerative treatment using stem cells and their bioproducts and targeted therapies against renal cancer stem cells may open new avenues in renal medicine.