The mechanisms of renal development are under intensive study and have important relevance for understanding the basic mechanisms of renal disease. Confocal, dual photon microscopy and immunofluorescence studies are carried out in mouse embryonic kidneys in organ culture as well as in newborn mouse kidneys to determine the basic features of ureteric bud, glomerular, tubular and vascular development. The effects of inactivating or activating specific genes is analyzed by microinjection into the ureteric bud or blastema and followed by sophisticated computer-based quantitative analysis. The effects of mediators of disease or development are examined by addition of reagents to embryonic mouse kidney organ culture media and tracking of renal development. The effects of potential therapeutic small molecules or gene therapy manipulations are examined in embryonic mouse organ cultures as well as in newborn mice in vivo.

Stem cell-based therapies hold exciting promise for treatment of many types of renal disease. Studies are in progress to isolate pure populations of renal stem cells from mouse embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid bodies and to determine their properties by lineage tracing in embryonic and newborn mice. In addition, these cells are being used to examine their potential for repair of renal ischemic injury and glomerular diseases.

Kidney ALP

Kidney ALP 2

E11.5 Kidney