Generation of nephronal cells from human pluripotent stem cells via renal-vesicle formation

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) provide a possible source for generation of kidney cells and organoids applicable in regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug screening. By analyzing the effect of different factors on renal differentiation, we established an 8-day-protocol that steered hPSCs to the renal lineage by a step-wise process, segmented into mesoderm induction, intermediate mesoderm specification and metanephric induction outlining renal organogenesis. The differentiated cells contain populations of SIX2+/CITED1+ metanephric mesenchyme- (MM) and of HOXB7+/GRHL2+ ureteric bud (UB)-like cells at the end of 6 days. Transcriptome analysis corroborated that the in vitro generated precursor cell types at day 8 resemble their renal vesicle counterparts in vivo. The cells were further differentiated in 2-dimensional culture into podocyte- and diverse tubular epithelial-like cell types, showing their nephrogenic potential. In 3-dimensional culture, the progenitors gave rise to renal vesicles, and upon mouse embryonic kidney re-aggregation they form tubular structures. Overall design: Assessment of the progress of pluripotent stem cells towards a renal lineage at regular time points of a novel differentiation protocol.