A modular differentiation system maps multiple human kidney lineages from pluripotent stem cells [scRNA-Seq]

Recent studies using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have developed protocols to induce kidney-lineage cells and reconstruct kidney organoids. However, the separate generation of metanephric nephron progenitors (NPs), mesonephric NPs and ureteric bud (UB) cells, which constitute embryonic kidneys, in in vitro differentiation culture systems has not been fully investigated. Here we created a culture system in which these mesoderm-like cell types as well as paraxial and lateral plate mesoderm-like cells were separately generated from hPSCs. We succeeded in recapitulating nephrogenic niches from separately induced metanephric NP-like and UB-like cells, which were subsequently differentiated into glomeruli, renal tubules and collecting ducts in vitro and further vascularized in vivo. Our selective differentiation protocols should contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying human kidney development and diseases and also supply cell sources for regenerative therapies. Overall design: Two kinds of iPS cell-derived nephron progenitors were generated by different culture conditions.