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Generation of Patient-Derived Podocytes from Skin Biopsies
Published on: May 26, 2023
Conditionally immortalized human podocyte cell lines established from urine.
Toru Sakairi1, Yoshifusa Abe, Hiroshi Kajiyama
1Kidney Disease Section, Kidney Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1268, USA.
American Journal of Physiology. Renal Physiology
|December 4, 2009
Summary
Researchers successfully cultured viable human podocytes from urine, a novel method for studying glomerular diseases. These cell lines offer a new tool for understanding podocyte biology and kidney disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Podocyte loss in urine is linked to glomerular disease progression.
- Shed podocytes are often viable and can be cultured.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and characterize long-term urinary cell cultures from human subjects.
- To investigate the phenotypic characteristics of viable cells derived from urine.
Main Methods:
- Urinary cells from patients and healthy volunteers were cultured.
- Cells were transformed using SV40 large T antigen (U19tsA58) and human telomerase (hTERT).
- mRNA expression of podocyte markers was analyzed in clonal cell lines.
Main Results:
- All eight cultured clonal cell lines expressed synaptopodin, nestin, and CD2AP mRNA.
- Podocin mRNA was not detected in any clones.
- Expression of nephrin, WT1, and podocalyxin varied among clones.
Conclusions:
- Consistent establishment of podocyte cell lines from human urine is feasible.
- These novel cell lines advance podocyte cell biology research.
- Further optimization of cell transformation and culture is needed for in vivo characteristic replication.

