Kidney organoids: steps towards better organization and function

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Kidney organoids, derived from stem cells, have been available for over a decade.
• They offer potential advantages over in vivo models, including the use of human cells and reduced ethical concerns.
• Current applications include disease modeling and drug screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state and challenges of kidney organoid development.
• To explore their potential applications in medicine and research.
• To discuss future directions for improving kidney organoid complexity and function.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on kidney organoid research.
• Analysis of current limitations in organoid development, including vascularization and anatomical organization.
• Discussion of advancements in differentiation techniques and assembly strategies.

Main Results:

• Kidney organoids currently represent fetal-stage tissue and lack organ-scale organization and proper vascularization.
• Techniques for improving cell specificity and organ-scale anatomy are being developed.
• Transplantation into hosts leads to vascularization and some renal function, but organotypic vascularization remains a challenge.

Conclusions:

• Further development is needed to improve kidney organoid complexity, vascularization, and functionality.
• Advanced organoids with a urine exit are required for more stringent functional assessment.
• Successful transplantation of even simplified organoids offers hope for future renal replacement therapies.