California, USA (CU)_ Scientists have made significant progress in growing completely functional human kidneys from stem cells. A kidney organoid, which is the primitive form of a human adult kidney, has been successfully developed by the researchers at the University of Southern California. These organoids have collecting duct systems that are similar to those found in human kidneys. The fluid and pH balance of our bodies are maintained by these collecting duct systems.
During a press release by the University of Southern California, Zhongwei Li, one of the authors of the study, expressed optimism about the research. He said, “Our progress in creating new types of kidney organoids provides powerful tools for not only understanding development and disease, but also finding new treatments and regenerative approaches for patients”.
Stem cells give rise to kidney cells, just as they do to all other organ cells. Progenitor cells are stem cells that are still in the early stages of developing into organ cells. The researchers began with progenitor cells that would eventually become kidney cells. The researchers then devised a mixture of molecules to induce these progenitor cells to create branching tubes or ureteric buds. The scientists were then able to expand these ureteric buds further into a collecting duct system with the use of the mixture of molecules.
The scientists started the research with mouse progenitor cells before moving on to human ureteric bud progenitor cells (UPCs). Scientists succeeded in their efforts to produce organoids with the use of both mouse and human UPCs. The mouse kidney created by the scientists succeeded in forming a connection between the nephron and the collecting duct. Nephron is the kidney’s structural and functional unit and the collecting duct is the tube connecting these structures with the kidney’s central or control area. Growing synthetic kidneys are a gift to patients with malfunctioning kidneys, and also enables scientists to research on various kidney disorders. Scientists can deeply investigate kidney disorders and try various treatments using artificial kidneys.
