In a collaborative effort including two groups that are part of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the laboratory of Dr. Alan Davidson, at the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the laboratory of Dr. Robert Handin, in the Hematology Division in the Department of Medicine at the Brigham and Woman's Hospital, together with Dr. Neil Hukriede's team at the University of Pittsburgh, have identified and characterized, for the first time, a progenitor cell in adult zebrafish kidneys that can be transplanted from one fish to another and generate new nephrons. Now that this cell has been identified it may be possible to better understand how to increase its number and capacity to generate nephrons.

Lead author, Dr. Alan Davidson, said "We hope to eventually be able to cross species barriers and understand why similar cells, present in mouse and human kidneys during embryonic life, disappear around the time of birth". The groups plan to continue studies on zebrafish and apply their data to mouse models and eventually humans.

Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital