Stem cells to treat kidney disease Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are putative candidates for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. The STELLAR study is investigating a possible new role for MSCs in the restoration of kidney function. Health © Thinkstock Nearly 8 % of Europeans will develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) and have a moderate to high risk that their kidneys will cease to function. Unless there is a suitable donor organ, CKD carries a high mortality risk and usually relies on kidney dialysis. However, the increasing disease prevalence and the shortage of available organs necessitate alternative solutions to renal replacement. Based on the recent discovery that kidney mesenchymal stromal cells (kMSCs) possess inherent regenerative capacity, strategies that aim to restore the function of affected kidneys seem promising. With this in mind, scientists on the EU-funded project 'Stem-cell based therapy for kidney repair' (STELLAR) are investigating the effectiveness of kMSCs to stop organ fibrosis and induce tissue repair. In theory, this should lead to the restoration of normal kidney function. By bringing together Australian and European experts in the field, STELLAR has developed protocols for the isolation of kMSCs and the characterisation of their properties. Compared to the well-characterised bone marrow or cord blood-derived MSCs, kMSCs have a similar phenotype. However, kMSCs exhibit a higher potential for epithelial wound healing and vasculogenesis. Mechanistic insight into these properties has revealed homeobox-mediated transcriptional processes that could be involved in renal regenerative properties. In the next phase of the project, partners will focus on the therapeutic impact of MSCs in specific disease models and on their large-scale expansion and differentiation. Among their objectives is also to understand the process of fibrosis and identify biomarkers for monitoring the effects of renal regeneration therapy using kMSCs. Dissemination of the project activities through social media has emphasised the societal impact of STELLAR. Indeed, translating the fundamental knowledge obtained during the project into a clinical cell therapy product is expected to benefit renal disease sufferers throughout the world. Keywords Kidney disease, regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stromal cells, stem-cell based therapy, kidney repair
