Complex three-dimensional kidney tissue generated in the lab from the
scratch

Date:
February 1, 2022
Source:
Kumamoto University
Summary:
Researchers have created a complex kidney tissue solely from
mouse embryonic stem cells. These organoids could lead the way
to better kidney research and, eventually, artificial kidneys for
human transplant.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A research team based in Kumamoto University (Japan) has created complex
3D kidney tissue in the lab solely from cultured mouse embryonic stem
(ES) cells.

These organoids could lead the way to better kidney research and,
eventually, artificial kidneys for human transplant.


==========================================================================
By focusing on an often-overlooked tissue type of organoid generation
research, a type of organ tissue made up of various support and connective tissues called the stroma, Dr. Ryuichi Nishinakamura and his team were
able to generate the last of a three-part puzzle that they had been
working on for several years.

Once the three pieces were combined, the resulting structure was found
to be kidney-like in its architecture. The researchers believe that
their work will be used to advance kidney research and even lead to a transplantable organ in the future.

The kidney is a very important organ for continued good health
because it acts as a filter to extract waste and excess water from
blood. It is a complex organ that develops from the combination of three components. Protocols have already been established by various research
teams, including Dr. Nishinakamura's team at the Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics (IMEG) at Kumamoto University, to induce two of
the components (the nephron progenitor and the ureteric bud) from mouse
ES cells.

In this, their most recent work, the IMEG team has developed a method to
induce the third and final component, kidney-specific stromal progenitor,
in mice.

Furthermore, by combining these three components in vitro, the researchers
were able to generate a kidney-like 3D tissue, consisting of extensively branched tubules and several other kidney-specific structures.

The researchers believe that this is the first ever report on the in-lab generation of such a complex kidney structure from scratch. The IMEG team
has already succeeded in inducing the first two components from human
iPS cells. If this last component can also be generated from human cells,
a similarly complex human kidney should be achievable.

"We are now working very hard to generate a fully
functional human kidney," said Dr. Nishinakamura. "We
hope to use our developments to screen drugs for
various diseases, and for transplantation in the long run." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Kumamoto_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Kidney-like_3D_tissue ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Shunsuke Tanigawa, Etsuko Tanaka, Koichiro Miike, Tomoko Ohmori,
Daisuke
Inoue, Chen-Leng Cai, Atsuhiro Taguchi, Akio Kobayashi, Ryuichi
Nishinakamura. Generation of the organotypic kidney structure by
integrating pluripotent stem cell-derived renal stroma. Nature
Communications, 2022; 13 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28226-7 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220201074530.htm

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