Severely damaged kidneys possess multipotent renoprotective stem cells.
OBJECTIVE
Tissue-specific stem cells are a promising target for kidney regeneration, because it has been shown that they play a primary role in kidney repair. Several methods have been developed for the isolation of stem/progenitor cells from healthy kidneys but the existence of these cells in chronically damaged kidneys has not been noticed so far.


METHODS
A mouse model of chronic kidney failure was developed by ligation of the left ureter for 5 months, and then isolation of stem cells from this tissue as well as normal kidneys was attempted.


RESULTS
We found that multipotent stem cells could be isolated from both types of tissue. In addition, the cells isolated from damaged kidneys showed potential for homing to the site of injury and a renoprotective effect in an animal model of cisplatin-induced nephropathy.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that multipotent renoprotective stem cells exist in severely damaged kidneys, which could be a target for designing new therapies.
Gheisari
Yousof
Y
Department of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran.
Nassiri
Seyed Mahdi
SM
Arefian
Ehsan
E
Ahmadbeigi
Naser
N
Azadmanesh
Kayhan
K
Jamali
Mansour
M
Jahanzad
Issa
I
Zeinali
Sirous
S
Vasei
Mohammad
M
Soleimani
Masoud
M
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins