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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions
Published on: July 2, 2020
WT1 and kidney progenitor cells
1Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. jordan.kreidberg@childrens.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Kidney development has been studied over the past sixty years as a model of embryonic induction during organogenesis. Wilms' tumor-1 (WT1), that encodes a transcription factor and RNA-binding protein, was one of the first tumor suppressor genes identified, and was soon thereafter shown to be associated with syndromic forms of childhood kidney disease and gonadal dysgenesis. Kidney agenesis, resulting from a null mutation in the WT1 gene, was one of the first examples of organ agenesis resulting from a gene targeting experiment. Thus, the study of the WT1 gene and its encoded proteins has been at the forefront of developmental biology, tumor biology and the molecular basis for disease. WT1 is now known to have an important role in kidney progenitor cells during development. This review will discuss recent advances in our understanding of kidney progenitor cells, and the recent identification of WT1 target genes in these cells.
Insights
The Wilms
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The Wilms' tumor-1 (WT1) gene, identified as a tumor suppressor, is crucial for embryonic kidney development and linked to childhood kidney diseases.
- WT1 mutations cause kidney agenesis, highlighting its role in organogenesis and serving as an early model for gene targeting studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in understanding kidney progenitor cells.
- To discuss the identification of WT1 target genes within these progenitor cells.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on kidney development and WT1.
- Analysis of recent research on WT1 target genes in kidney progenitor cells.
Main Results:
- WT1 plays a critical role in the development and function of kidney progenitor cells.
- New WT1 target genes have been identified, expanding our knowledge of its regulatory network.
Conclusions:
- Continued research into WT1 and kidney progenitor cells offers insights into developmental biology and disease mechanisms.
- Understanding WT1's targets is key to unraveling the molecular basis of kidney development and associated disorders.
