Renal Stem Cells

THE ADULT KIDNEY is a structurally complex organ, comprising more than 24 different cell types that have been distinctly arranged to form different compartments of the nephron (the structural and functional unit of the kidney) and vasculature. It possesses a remarkable capacity for morphological restoration of tubular structure and the recovery of function after acute renal injury.

Acute renal failure is a fatal disease caused by a variety of factors associated with tubular damage to the kidney. It is characterized by an initial phase of decrease in urine production as a result of the blockade of the urinary tubules (the exchange unit in the kidney for various substances), followed by increase in urine production and, later on, a maintenance phase resulting from improper reabsorption by immature ...