Translational Research Methods: Tissue Engineering of the Kidney and Urinary Tract

Abstract

In 1981, pluripotent cells were found in the inner cell mass of the human embryo, and the term "human embryonic stem cell" was coined [24]. These cells are able to differentiate into all cells of the human body, excluding placental cells (only cells from the morula are totipotent, i.e., able to develop into all cells of the human body). These cells have great therapeutic potential, but their use is limited by both biological and ethical factors.The political controversy surrounding stem cells began in 1998 with the creation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells derived from discarded embryos. hES were isolated from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst (an embryo 5 days postfertilization) using an immunosurgical technique. Given that some cells cannot be expanded ex vivo, ES cells could be the ideal resource for tissue Pediatric Nephrology