Regenerative medicine in kidney disease

The treatment of renal failure has changed little in decades. Organ transplantation and dialysis continue to represent the only therapeutic options available. However, decades of fundamental research into the response of the kidney to acute injury and the processes driving progression to chronic kidney disease are beginning to open doors to new options. Similarly, continued investigations into the cellular and molecular basis of normal kidney development, together with major advances in stem cell biology, are now delivering options in regenerative medicine not possible as recently as a decade ago. In this review, we will discuss advances in regenerative medicine as it may be applied to the kidney. This will cover cellular therapies focused on ameliorating injury and improving repair as well as advancements in the generation of new renal tissue from stem/progenitor cells.