Development of a cryopreservation technique for regenerated renal products to realize kidney regenerative medicine.

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22914
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0902:General internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Fujimoto Toshinari 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (50818507)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腎臓再生 / 再生医療 / 腎不全 / 胎生臓器補完法 / 凍結 / 前駆細胞 / 後腎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previously, we developed a novel method of xenogeneic regenerative medicine for patients with chronic kidney disease by grafting xeno-fetal kidneys injected with renal progenitor cells. To align the xeno-metanephros and renal progenitor cell timing for transplantation treatments, cryopreservation techniques of regenerated renal products such as xeno-metanephroi and renal progenitor cells should be established. In this study, we established a new method for simultaneously cryopreserving metanephroi injected with progenitor cells. We confirmed that even in cryopreserved chimeric metanephroi, transplanted cell-derived nephrons as well as fresh transplants grew.

Free Research Field

再生医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

透析・移植治療の限界から、慢性腎不全に対する新規治療として腎臓再生医療の実現が求められている。実験室レベルではマウス-ラット間での腎臓再生に成功しているが、ヒト臨床応用にはいくつかハードルがある。その中で再生腎臓の凍結・融解技術の確立は根本的な課題であり、本研究成果は腎臓再生医療の実現化の重要な基盤となる。