Over 4 million people worldwide rely on dialysis to survive, with many of them needing a kidney transplant. Yet only a fraction of transplant demand can be met. The Little Lab aims to address this shortage by growing kidney organoids, which are miniature kidney tissues made from stem cells. In the future, these organoids could help restore kidney function, reducing dependence on dialysis and improving outcomes for patients with kidney disease.
reNEW research
Our research aims to develop stem cell-derived human kidney tissue to one day address the shortage of donor kidneys. Using human cells that have been reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells, these are guided to form kidney tissue in the laboratory. The resulting mini kidneys that you see in this image allow us to study kidney development and disease, test new treatments, and advance regenerative medicine for future therapies and transplantation.
Image description
Resembling red lava flowing through icy craters, this image shows tiny kidney tubules with red-stained lumens.
Credits
Mian Xie, Research Assistant, Little Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
