Cell therapy for kidney diseases

The prevalence of kidney disease continues to increase worldwide, with a considerable number of patients requiring long-term medication and renal replacement therapy. The pathogenesis and progression of kidney disease are associated with renal cellular injury and immune dysregulation. Conventional kidney disease treatment strategies, such as pharmacotherapy and renal replacement therapy, are unable to reverse the progression of kidney disease. To overcome this problem, kidney transplantation has been developed. However, its clinical application remains limited by challenges such as immune rejection and donor shortage. As such, cell therapy, comprising stem cell therapy and immune cell therapy, represents a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of kidney disease. Stem cell therapy may promote tissue repair, offers new possibilities for restoring impaired renal function, whereas immune cell therapy focuses on targeted modulation of pathological cellular and immune processes with potentially favorable safety profiles. Current evidence suggests that cell therapy holds considerable therapeutic potential for kidney diseases; however, additional studies are needed to establish long-term efficacy and to optimize therapeutic strategies. To facilitate clinical translation and to address challenges related to therapeutic heterogeneity and safety, this review evaluates the potential of cell therapy for kidney disease by focusing on three aspects: the mechanisms of action of therapeutic cells, their efficacy in common kidney diseases, and the current limitations, challenges, and future directions associated with these therapies.