Current state of renal regenerative therapies

The worldwide increase in the number of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients leads to a growing waiting list for kidney transplantation due to the scarcity of kidney donors. Therefore, alternative treatment options for patients with ESRD are being sought. In vitro differentiation of stem cells into renal tissue is a promising approach to repair non-functional kidney tissue. Impressive headway has been made in the use of stem cells with the use of adult renal progenitor cells (ARPCs), Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) and induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) for the development towards primitive kidney structures. Currently, efforts are directed at improving long-term maintenance and stability of the cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cell sources used for the generation of kidney cells and strategies used for transplantation in in vivo models. Furthermore, it provides a perspective on stability and safety during future clinical application of in vitro generated kidney cells. Correspondence information: Anusha S. Shankar, Mailing address: Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail address: a.shankar@erasmusmc.nl Authorship A.S.S.: concept and design, manuscript writing, final approval of manuscript, E.J.H and M.H.: concept and design, manuscript writing, final approval of manuscript, J.G. and C.C.B: final approval of manuscript. Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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