Chapter 23 - Current advances and challenges in stem cell–based therapy for chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Kidney disorders are a typical illness all over the world. The current standard of care for kidney diseases simply slows down the onset of the disease by using many pharmacological therapies. These medications and therapies are unable to stop the disease from progressing to a more severe state. Enhancing patients’ quality of life and possibly treating, reversing, or lowering renal disease depend on the discovery of novel drugs. Stem cells offer significant potential as a type of regenerative treatment for treating renal illnesses due to their limitless capacity for reproduction and ability to develop into kidney cells in vitro. Stem cell–based therapy may minimize kidney damage while enhancing the structure and function of both glomerular and tubular compartments, according to mounting data from the use of stem cells in an experimental kidney disease model. This chapter provides an overview of the many cell types, animal models, and in vitro research that have been used in the stem cell–based therapy approaches now being used to treat kidney issues. The findings of the reported human clinical trials are also highlighted, as well as the challenges of transitioning from limited clinical use to laboratory proof-of-concept. The success of cell-based therapy might make future developments in regenerative medicine easier.