Kidney Organoids and Tubuloids

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Nephrology
• Regenerative medicine

Background:

• Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived kidney organoids and adult stem or progenitor cell (ASC)-based kidney tubuloids have emerged as advanced in vitro models.
• PSC organoids mimic fetal kidney development (nephrogenesis) through self-organization of precursor tissues.
• ASC tubuloids model adult kidney tubule renewal and repair, forming expandable, stable cultures of kidney epithelia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the nature of kidney organoids and tubuloids.
• To discuss their current and future applications in science and medicine.
• To highlight their potential in kidney physiology studies, disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on kidney organoid and tubuloid research.
• Analysis of applications in disease modeling and drug screening.
• Discussion of regenerative medicine potential.

Main Results:

• Both organoid and tubuloid models are successfully used to study kidney physiology and model various kidney diseases (hereditary, infectious, toxic, metabolic, malignant).
• These models are effective for screening drug efficacy and toxicity.
• A tumor tubuloid biobank enables research on pathogenic mutations and drug targets.

Conclusions:

• Kidney organoids and tubuloids represent significant advancements in in vitro kidney research.
• They offer powerful tools for understanding kidney development, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic development.
• Future applications are broad, spanning basic science to clinical translation.