A key unit of the kidney, the nephron is a tiny structure that filters waste. In humans, about 500,000 to 1,000,000 nephrons are generated before week 34 to 36 of fetal gestation, a point at which NP cells are fully depleted and nephrogenesis ceases. The loss of a sufficient number of nephrons at any time after this period, leads to irreversible kidney failure, as no further cell repair or regeneration can occur.
Previously, nephron progenitors have primarily been studied in animal models or through the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPCs). The CHLA scientists utilized an efficient protocol for direct isolation of human NP using RNA-labeling probes to obtain NP-expressing SIX2 and CITED1 – the master genes regulating renal development.
“In addition to defining the genetic profile of human NP, this system will facilitate studies of human kidney development, providing a novel tool for renal regeneration and bioengineering purposes,” says principal investigator Laura Perin, PhD, co-director of CHLA’s GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics in Urology.
She notes that this proof of concept opens up a lot of applications to researchers, who can employ the technique with other organs, such as the pancreas or lung. “This technique provides a ‘how to’ of human tissue during development,” Perin says.
“It is an important tool that will allow scientists to study cell renewal and differentiation in human cells, perhaps offering clues to how to regulate such development,” added first author Stefano Da Sacco.
Additional contributors include Roger E. DeFilippo, MD, chief of the CHLA Division of Urology and co-director of the GOFARR lab; Matthew E. Thornton, Astgik Petrosyan, Maria Lavarreda-Pearce, Sargis Sedrakyan, Brendan H. Grubbs, all of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog at http://researchlablog.org/.
MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact detailsCITATIONS
Stem Cell Translational Medicine
RSS