In the kidney, identification of endogenous stem–progenitor systems remained a challenge until recently. Indeed, the kidney has a complexity that is comparable only to that of the brain; it is composed ofmmore than 26 different cell types that interact to build the nephrons [1]—the basic functional units of the kidney—and the surrounding interstitium. Pluripotent stem cells capable of giving rise to any cell lineage can be isolated from early-stage mammalian embryos. As development progresses, lineage-restricted stem cells produce the tissues and organs of the body [2]. Development does not necessarily exhaust stem cell pools and usually leads to the formation of tissue-specific adult stem cells that typically show more restricted potency (e.g., they are multi-, bi-, or unipotent) and are thus also more often defined as progenitors [3]. Adult stem cells and progenitor cells can respond dynamically to injury and fuel substantial regeneration of damaged tissues. For these reasons, they are thought to have important roles in the etiology of disease [4], malignancy [5], and aging [6,7]. The existence of renal stem or progenitor cells in adult kidney has been debated for some time. In recent years, evidence for renal progenitors (RPC) has been reported in lower vertebrates such as fish and insects, as well as in mammals such as mouse and rat [8]. Finally, an RPC system consisting of progenitors able to give rise to tubular epithelium and podocytes was characterized in humans [9]. Identification of RPC is increasing knowledge about the mechanisms of kidney regeneration. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that some renal disorders can be related to RPC dysfunction, opening important perspectives to modulate renal progenitor function for therapeutic purposes. In this chapter, we explore evidence for the existence of an RPC system in adult human kidney, as well as the role of RPC as a novel player in kidney pathophysiology and as an innovative tool for disease modeling and patient-specific analysis.
Evidence for Renal Progenitors in the Human Kidney / Lasagni, Laura; Lazzeri, Elena; Peired, Anna; Romagnani, Paola. - ELETTRONICO. - (2015), pp. 0-0.
Evidence for Renal Progenitors in the Human Kidney
LASAGNI, LAURA;LAZZERI, ELENA;PEIRED, ANNA JULIE;ROMAGNANI, PAOLA
2015
Abstract
In the kidney, identification of endogenous stem–progenitor systems remained a challenge until recently. Indeed, the kidney has a complexity that is comparable only to that of the brain; it is composed ofmmore than 26 different cell types that interact to build the nephrons [1]—the basic functional units of the kidney—and the surrounding interstitium. Pluripotent stem cells capable of giving rise to any cell lineage can be isolated from early-stage mammalian embryos. As development progresses, lineage-restricted stem cells produce the tissues and organs of the body [2]. Development does not necessarily exhaust stem cell pools and usually leads to the formation of tissue-specific adult stem cells that typically show more restricted potency (e.g., they are multi-, bi-, or unipotent) and are thus also more often defined as progenitors [3]. Adult stem cells and progenitor cells can respond dynamically to injury and fuel substantial regeneration of damaged tissues. For these reasons, they are thought to have important roles in the etiology of disease [4], malignancy [5], and aging [6,7]. The existence of renal stem or progenitor cells in adult kidney has been debated for some time. In recent years, evidence for renal progenitors (RPC) has been reported in lower vertebrates such as fish and insects, as well as in mammals such as mouse and rat [8]. Finally, an RPC system consisting of progenitors able to give rise to tubular epithelium and podocytes was characterized in humans [9]. Identification of RPC is increasing knowledge about the mechanisms of kidney regeneration. Indeed, growing evidence suggests that some renal disorders can be related to RPC dysfunction, opening important perspectives to modulate renal progenitor function for therapeutic purposes. In this chapter, we explore evidence for the existence of an RPC system in adult human kidney, as well as the role of RPC as a novel player in kidney pathophysiology and as an innovative tool for disease modeling and patient-specific analysis.
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