Page 4 - LabMedya - ENG - 06
P. 4

/labmedya


        4                                                                                 HEALTH AND LABORATORY MAGAZINE















        3D KIDNEY


        TISSUE CREATED


        IN THE LAB















        Research team from Japan has created complex
        3D kidney tissue in the lab solely from cultured
        mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells.




        These organoids could lead   that their work will be   Furthermore, by combining
        the way to better kidney   used to advance kidney   these three components in
        research and, eventually,   research and even lead to a   vitro, the researchers were
        artificial kidneys for human   transplantable organ in the   able to generate a kidney-
        transplant. Research      future.                  like 3D tissue, consisting
        team based in Kumamoto                             of extensively branched
        University (Japan) has    The kidney is a very     tubules and several other
        created complex 3D kidney   important organ for    kidney-specific structures.
        tissue in the lab solely from   continued good health
        cultured mouse embryonic   because it acts as a filter   The researchers believe   Researchers in Japan have generated a kidney-like 3D
        stem (ES) cells. These    to extract waste and     that this is the first ever   tissue, consisting of extensively branched tubules, from
        organoids could lead      excess water from blood.   report on the in-lab       cultured mouse embryonic stem cells. Credit: Dr. Shunsuke
                                                                                        Tanigawa
        the way to better kidney   It is a complex organ   generation of such a
        research and, eventually,   that develops from the   complex kidney structure
        artificial kidneys for human   combination of three   from scratch. The IMEG
        transplant.               components. Protocols    team has already
                                  have already been        succeeded in inducing the
        By focusing on an often-  established by various   first two components from
        overlooked tissue type    research teams, including   human iPS cells. If this last
        of organoid generation    Dr. Nishinakamura’s team   component can also be
        research, a type of organ   at the Institute of Molecular   generated from human
        tissue made up of various   Embryology and Genetics   cells, a similarly complex
        support and connective    (IMEG) at Kumamoto       human kidney should be
        tissues called the stroma,   University, to induce two   achievable.
        Dr. Ryuichi Nishinakamura   of the components (the
        and his team were able to   nephron progenitor and the   “We are now working very
        generate the last of a three-  ureteric bud) from mouse   hard to generate a fully
        part puzzle that they had   ES cells.              functional human kidney,”
        been working on for several                        said Dr. Nishinakamura.
        years. Once the three     In this, their most recent   “We hope to use our
        pieces were combined,     work, the IMEG team has   developments to screen
        the resulting structure   developed a method to    drugs for various diseases,
        was found to be kidney-   induce the third and final   and for transplantation in   Researchers in Japan have generated a kidney-like3D
        like in its architecture.   component, kidney-specific   the long run.”        tissue, consisting of many types of kidney-specific
        The researchers believe   stromal progenitor, in mice.                         structures, from cultured mouse embryonic stem cells.
                                                                                       Credit: Dr. Shunsuke Tanigawa
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9