Propagation and Culture of Human Renal Fibroblasts

The renal fibroblast and phenotypically related myofibroblast are universally present in all forms of progressive kidney disease. The in vitro study of the fibroblast, its behavior, and factors affecting its activity is therefore key to understanding both its role and significance. In this protocol, we describe a reproducible method for selective propagation and culture of primary human renal fibroblasts from the human kidney cortex. Techniques for their isolation, subculture, characterization, and cryogenic storage and retrieval are described in detail.