Renal progenitor cells for treatment of acute kidney injury

Renal embyonic cells (REC) isolated from human embryonic kidneys and a subset of parietal epithelial cells (PEC) from the adult Bowman's capsule , share surface markers expression,CD24+CD133 + have the capacity for self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. It was found that these CD24+CD133+ cells constitute the early primordial nephron but progressively disappear during nephron development until they become selectively localized to the urinary pole of Bowman's capsule. Isolated RECs and injected into SCID mice with acute renal failure from glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis, regenerated different portions of the nephron, reduced tissue necrosis and fibrosis, and significantly improved renal function. CD24+CD133+ RECs represent a subset of multipotent embryonic progenitors that persist in human kidneys from early stages of nephrogenesis. Treatment of acute renal failure with CD24+CD133+ PEC significantly ameliorated the morphologic and functional kidney damage. The ability of these cells to repair renal damage, together with their apparent lack of tumorigenicity, suggests their potential in the treatment of renal failure.