Kidney Structure

The idea of being able to grow functional kidneys from pluripotent stem cells is one step closer to reality, based on work Dutch and Australian researchers have carried out. According to this piece: “Is it is possible to direct human pluripotent stem cells to form a complex multicellular kidney organoid that comprises fully segmented nephrons surrounded by endothelia and renal interstitium and is transcriptionally similar to a human fetal kidney. . . .”   Complete regeneration of a kidney involves induction of nearly two dozen cell types, and these scientists have not reached that point yet, but this is an important development in that direction. MORE (See original article for GIFs created from YouTube Videos)

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