Cell therapy holds promise to enable efficient repair of the adult human kidney, which could reverse damage caused by repeated renal injury. In this Review, Bussolati and Camussi consider the latest evidence for the existence and origin of functional renal progenitor cells in adult humans and the role of these cells in renal repair. They then discuss strategies for generating renal progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells, human fetal cells and adult renal cells that could be used for cell therapy.
- Benedetta Bussolati
- Giovanni Camussi
