An exciting stem cell discovery from researchers at University of Virginia Medical School brings scientists one step closer to growing kidneys in the lab, complete with functioning vasculature. The UVA investigators not only identified the stem cells that produce blood vessels in the kidney, they also found that blood forms along with the vessels. Their research provides the first evidence that the kidney is a blood-generating organ. They also uncovered a molecule that is key to regulating blood vessel development.
Source:
Vessel Discovery a Major Step Toward Growing Kidneys, EurekAlert, December 16, 2015