Kidney Regeneration Special Topic Issue: Nephron Experimental Nephrology 2014, Vol. 126, No. 2

Adult stem cells and progenitor cells can respond dynamically to injury and fuel substantial regeneration of damaged tissues. For these reasons, they are thought to have important roles in the etiology of disease, malignancy, and aging. In humans, there exists a renal progenitor system consisting of bipotent progenitors, tubular progenitors, and podocyte progenitors. Growing evidence indicates that some renal disorders can be related to renal progenitor dysfunction, suggesting that renal progenitor function may be modulated for therapeutic purposes. In this publication, the roles of renal progenitors and other stem cell types involved in the response to injury, cell therapy, reprogramming, and tissue engineering are explored, presenting the current foundation of tissue engineering/regenerative medicine strategies for future therapies of untreatable kidney disorders.