title: PKH(high) cells within clonal human nephrospheres provide a purified adult renal stem cell population.
abstract: The existence and identification of adult renal stem cells is a controversial issue. In this study, renal stem cells were identified from cultures of clonal human nephrospheres. The cultured nephrospheres exhibited the activation of stem cell pathways and contained cells at different levels of maturation. In each nephrosphere the presence of 1.12-1.25 cells mirroring stem cell properties was calculated. The nephrosphere cells were able to generate three-dimensional tubular structures in 3D cultures and in vivo. In clonal human nephrospheres a PKH(high) phenotype was isolated using PKH26 epifluorescence, which can identify quiescent cells within the nephrospheres. The PKH(high) cells, capable of self-renewal and of generating a differentiated epithelial, endothelial and podocytic progeny, can also survive in vivo maintaining the undifferentiated status. The PKH(high) status, together with a CD133(+)/CD24(-) phenotype, identified a homogeneous cell population displaying in vitro self-renewal and multipotency capacity. The resident adult renal stem cell population isolated from nephrospheres can be used for the study of mechanisms that regulate self-renewal and differentiation in adult renal tissue as well as in renal pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bombelli
authors.forename: Maria Anna
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zipeto
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Torsello
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bovo
authors.forename: Vitalba
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bugarin
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zordan
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viganò
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cattoretti
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strada
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Roberto A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Perego
mesh_terms: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000071916:AC133 Antigen; D015703:Antigens, CD; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006023:Glycoproteins; D009930:Organic Chemicals; C070080:PKH 26; C000606023:PROM1 protein, human; D010455:Peptides; C000606024:Prom1 protein, mouse