Abstract
Chronic and acute renal diseases are an increasingly significant burden on the nation's health. Despite the clinical prevalence, few treatments are available for chronic renal diseases, which can progress towards end stage renal disease and ultimately require dialysis or transplantation. However, the potentials for using stem or progenitor cells for tissue engineering and renal replacement as novel therapies are slowly being realized. Beginning with the principles of developmental biology and knowledge of factors that specify renal stem cells, investigators are applying new principles to the kidney in the hopes of enhancing the regenerative capacity and improving long-term function. This chapter outlines the current understanding of kidney development, the cell lineages and factors regulating differentiation, and the role of stem or progenitor cells in regeneration. Although the future is promising, critical issues regarding the origin or presence of adult stem cells, the role of mesenchyme or bone marrow derived stem cells in regeneration, and the ability to reconstruct renal architecture remain unresolved.
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