 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| IJCEP Copyright © 2007-All rights reserved. |
| International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology |
Int J Clin Exp Pathol 1(3):232-241;2008
Original Article
Adult Stem-Cell-Like Tubular Cells Reside in the Corticomedullary Junction of the
Kidney
Kyungeun Kim, Kyoung Mee Lee, Duck Jong Han, Eunsil Yu and Yong Mee Cho
Department of Pathology and Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of
Korea
Received 28 Aug 2007; accepted and available online 1 January 2008
Abstract: The existence of adult renal stem cells has long been suspected because the kidney is capable of regeneration in response to
injury, such as acute tubular necrosis (ATN), but their location, or niche, has not been fully defined yet. The aim of this study was to identify
the niche of adult renal stem cells responsible for the tubular regeneration. The location of label-retaining cells (LRCs) was studied in
adult mouse kidneys after administration of a pulse of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) during embryonic period. To study regional participation
in renal tubular regeneration, the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 was examined after induction of unilateral ATN in mouse
kidneys. Regional colony-forming capacity was examined using cultured cells derived from normal mouse and human kidneys and their
multipotency was examined in human kidneys. LRCs in adult mouse kidneys were mostly tubular epithelial cells and concentrated
constantly in the outer stripe of the corticomedullary junction (CMJ). In the ATN model, Ki-67 positive cells were concentrated in the tubular
epithelial cells of the outer stripe, not only in the ATN kidneys but also in the contralateral non-ATN kidneys. High colony-forming capacity
was noted in the CMJ of mouse and human kidneys. Cultured cells derived from a single human CMJ cell revealed multipotency,
differentiating not only into tubular cells but also into glomerular podocytes. These results demonstrate that the CMJ of the kidney
contains label-retaining, renal-repairing, highly colony-forming multipotent stem cell-like tubular cells, suggesting the CMJ as the niche of
adult renal stem cells. (IJCEP708015).
Key Words: Adult stem cells, kidney, niche, acute renal failure
Full Text PDF
Address all correspondences to: Yong Mee Cho, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center,University of Ulsan College
of Medicine, Phone: 82-2-3010-5965, Fax: 82-2-3010-7898, Email: yongcho@amc.seoul.kr
Original Article
Adult Stem-Cell-Like Tubular Cells Reside in the Corticomedullary Junction of the
Kidney
Kyungeun Kim, Kyoung Mee Lee, Duck Jong Han, Eunsil Yu and Yong Mee Cho
Department of Pathology and Department of Surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of
Korea
Received 28 Aug 2007; accepted and available online 1 January 2008
Abstract: The existence of adult renal stem cells has long been suspected because the kidney is capable of regeneration in response to
injury, such as acute tubular necrosis (ATN), but their location, or niche, has not been fully defined yet. The aim of this study was to identify
the niche of adult renal stem cells responsible for the tubular regeneration. The location of label-retaining cells (LRCs) was studied in
adult mouse kidneys after administration of a pulse of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) during embryonic period. To study regional participation
in renal tubular regeneration, the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 was examined after induction of unilateral ATN in mouse
kidneys. Regional colony-forming capacity was examined using cultured cells derived from normal mouse and human kidneys and their
multipotency was examined in human kidneys. LRCs in adult mouse kidneys were mostly tubular epithelial cells and concentrated
constantly in the outer stripe of the corticomedullary junction (CMJ). In the ATN model, Ki-67 positive cells were concentrated in the tubular
epithelial cells of the outer stripe, not only in the ATN kidneys but also in the contralateral non-ATN kidneys. High colony-forming capacity
was noted in the CMJ of mouse and human kidneys. Cultured cells derived from a single human CMJ cell revealed multipotency,
differentiating not only into tubular cells but also into glomerular podocytes. These results demonstrate that the CMJ of the kidney
contains label-retaining, renal-repairing, highly colony-forming multipotent stem cell-like tubular cells, suggesting the CMJ as the niche of
adult renal stem cells. (IJCEP708015).
Key Words: Adult stem cells, kidney, niche, acute renal failure
Full Text PDF
Address all correspondences to: Yong Mee Cho, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center,University of Ulsan College
of Medicine, Phone: 82-2-3010-5965, Fax: 82-2-3010-7898, Email: yongcho@amc.seoul.kr