The kidney eliminates around 1.5 litre of urine daily, relying on roughly 1 million filtration units per kidney called nephrons – specialised tubules that selectively reabsorb vital substances and eliminate waste. Constant exposure to toxins and metabolites causes injury. Widespread loss of nephron function leads to chronic kidney disease which is a leading cause of death. Our research aims to bioengineer nephrons from human stem cells as novel treatment to improve chronic kidney disease outcomes.
reNEW research
In the Kidney Regeneration lab at ReNEW (Melbourne), our team harnesses knowledge of kidney development and stem cell biology to produce some of the most accurate and functional lab-grown nephrons. The model paves the way for clinical applications such as kidney replacement therapies and drug screening by studying nephron-nephron connectivity and tissue scalability.
Image description
Merging kidney tissues reveal complex tissue architecture, with nephrons traceable via internal lumen (blue) and surrounding epithelial (red).
Credits
Sophia Mah, Research Assistant, The Little Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
Team Leader and Group Leader: Dr Jessica Vanslambrouck and Professor Melissa Little, Little Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
