Kidney Progenitor Cells in Regenerative Medicine

Project Summary: We have shown that rat and mouse metanephric mesenchyme (MM) and ureteric bud (UB) cells undergo reciprocal induction to form differentiated tubular epithelium and undergo vasculogenesis forming capillary-like structures in 3-dimensional culture. Because these kidney progenitor cell lines retain differentiation potential, they have enormous potential in state-of-the art areas of research including cell-based therapy, stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and other burgeoning fields in regenerative medicine. This proposal is designed to establish the efficacy of the progenitor cell lines in cell-based therapy to accelerate repair and recovery during acute kidney injury. Information derived from these studies will be used to further commercialize the cells and optimize distribution to the scientific community, fostering investigation in nephrogenesis and regenerative medicine. The following aims are proposed: Aim 1. To define differentiation potential of kidney embryonic progenitor cells in c