Human fetal kidney organoids model early human nephrogenesis and Notch-driven cell fate.

ABSTRACT: Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived kidney organoids are used to model human renal development and disease; however, accessible models of human fetal development to benchmark PSC-derived organoids remain underdeveloped. Here, we establish a chemically defined, serum-free protocol for prolonged culture of human fetal kidney-derived organoids (hFKOs) in vitro. hFKOs self-organize into polarized renal epithelium, reinitiate from NCAM1⁺ progenitors, and recapitulate nephrogenic and ureteric bud lineages. Bulk transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, pseudotime analysis, and immunostaining revealed diverse renal tissue cell populations, with a preserved epithelial progenitor pool and tubular differentiation axis. hFKOs were enriched for Notch signaling genes, enabling single-cell

SUBMITTER: Namestnikov M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12402132 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature