Kidneys play essential roles in filtering blood and keeping the body healthy. In the Kidney Regeneration Group, we are creating miniature kidneys from stem cells to improve our understanding of kidney diseases and develop new treatments.
Impact
Kidneys contain small structures called glomeruli which filter blood to remove waste. Genetic diseases can prevent glomeruli from properly filtering blood, so waste products begin to build up in the kidneys and the body, eventually leading to kidney failure. Currently there are no treatment options except for dialysis or kidney transplant. With our stem cell models of glomeruli, we are trying to develop alternative, less invasive approaches to treatment.
reNEW research
Using our stem cell models of kidney structures, we can successfully model genetic diseases that affect the glomeruli. We have treated these models with over 5000 compounds to identify potential drug treatments for genetic glomerular disease.
Image description
The image looks at the middle of a single filter – the glomerulus – in our kidney tissue model where you can see a heart shape made from the cells inside. This beautiful image reminds us that while the heart keeps us alive, so do the kidneys. This tiny kidney has a heart of its own. I heart kidneys!
Credits
Rachel Lam, Research Assistant, Little Lab, reNEW MCRI.
