Published online Feb 26, 2016. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v8.i2.22
Peer-review started: September 6, 2015
First decision: November 27, 2015
Revised: December 17, 2015
Accepted: January 8, 2016
Article in press: January 11, 2016
Published online: February 26, 2016
Processing time: 178 Days and 9.2 Hours
Kidney disease is an escalating global health problem, for which the formulation of therapeutic approaches using stem cells has received increasing research attention. The complexity of kidney anatomy and function, which includes the diversity of renal cell types, poses formidable challenges in the identification of methods to generate replacement structures. Recent work using the zebrafish has revealed their high capacity to regenerate the integral working units of the kidney, known as nephrons, following acute injury. Here, we discuss these findings and explore the ways that zebrafish can be further utilized to gain a deeper molecular appreciation of renal stem cell biology, which may uncover important clues for regenerative medicine.
Core tip: The emergence of regeneration-based options for kidney disease has the potential to reduce the growing worldwide health burden of these heterogenous conditions. Research into the mechanisms of renal regeneration in vertebrates like the zebrafish may provide knowledge about fundamental principles that could be useful for cellular reprogramming or endogenous modulation of kidney cells in humans.