Kidney transplantation remains the most effective treatment for end-stage kidney disease, but a severe shortage of donor organs continues to limit access for millions of patients worldwide. Demand for kidney transplants is expected to reach 5 million patients by 2030, but with only a portion of that demand currently being met, researchers are exploring innovative approaches to producing transplantable organs.
In a study published today, stem cell reportShunsuke Yuri of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology and Ayako Isoya of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology have succeeded in producing rat-derived kidneys in mice using a technique known as interspecific blastocyst. Complement. The researchers created mouse embryos that are genetically incapable of forming kidneys, leaving a developmental niche that can be filled by injecting embryonic stem cells. Introducing rat embryonic stem cells into these embryos significantly contributed to kidney formation, particularly the nephron progenitor and ureteric bud lineages, resulting in the generation of rat cell-derived kidneys.
Although the cross-species embryos did not survive to birth and kidney function could not be assessed, the study shows the possibility of using one species to generate organs from another. The discovery is an important step toward future efforts to grow transplantable human organs in large animals such as pigs, with the long-term goal of helping address the global shortage of donor kidneys.
sauce:
International Stem Cell Research Association
Reference magazines:
Yuri, S., Isotani, A. (2026). Generation of rat cell-derived kidneys by interspecies blastocyst complementation in the Osr1-KO mouse model. Stem cell report. DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.102957. https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(26)00168-2
