Mini kidneys from urine stem cells to aid in diseases study
Stem cells allow for sample organs or “minis” to be grown in the lab; the most recent being the kidneys grown by researchers from the Netherlands. Urine stem cells were isolated from urine samples in a simple and cost effective method for this purpose. A mini kidney from the lab looks different from human kidneys, but share many cellular and structural characteristics.
Hans Clevers, Professor of Molecular Genetics at Utrecht University and group leader at the Hubrecht Institute, noted that researchers can use the mini kidneys to study certain kidney diseases in a less invasive way and hopefully develop better treatments for kidney disorders.
Marianne Verhaar, Professor of Experimental Nephrology at UMC Utrecht said the mini kidneys can be used to study if viral transplant-related infections are treatable, and possibly use mini kidneys created from the tissue of a patient with kidney cancer to study the progression of cancer.
Verhaar collaborates with medics, researchers and technical experts at the Regenerative Medicine Centre Utrecht to improve treatments for kidney patients. They hope to create a real, functioning kidney in time.
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