News Releases & Research Results Production of a large amount of tissue that serves as a source of the renal collecting duct

The results of research and development conducted by Assistant Professor Shin-ichi Mae, Researcher Makoto Ryosaka, and Professor Kenji Osafune of the Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University.

• A method of producing ureteric bud tissue (organoids), a kidney progenitor tissue, from human iPS cells was invented. Furthermore, the tip cells removed from ureteric bud organoids were successfully expanded to regenerate ureteric bud organoids.
• The pathological conditions of polycystic dysplastic kidney*, a congenital renal disease, were successfully reproduced using the technology.
  *Congenital disease with a large number of cysts (a liquid-containing a bag-shaped structure) formed in the kidneys. This disease is generally caused by renal failure due to abnormal differentiation of metanephric mesenchyme and ureteric bud. It occurs in about 1 in 4,300 births, a high incidence among congenital renal urinary tract abnormalities.
• The results this R&D project of should facilitate the elucidation of the mechanism in which the ureteric buds repeat branching and differentiate into the collecting ducts and the establishment of a disease model of congenital renal disease.

This program was conducted with the support of the Research Center Network for Realization of Regenerative Medicine by AMED.

The results of this R&D project were published in Cell Reports on July 29.

Mae S., et al. Expansion of human iPSC-derived ureteric bud organoids with repeated branching potential Cell Reports
DOI：10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107963