Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have dual value as microphysiological laboratory models and regenerative therapeutics. hPSCs are epithelial cells, but the extent to which hPSCs and descendant epithelia can reconstitute lineage-specific functions remains poorly understood. Here the Inventors show that hPSCs in three-dimensional cultures and their differentiated descendants can functionally recapitulate tissue-specific epithelial morphogenesis, physiology, and disease.

Disclosed are renal tissues and arrays thereof that include a layer of renal interstitial tissue, the renal interstitial tissue comprising renal fibroblasts and endothelial cells; and a layer of renal epithelial tissue, the renal epithelial tissue comprising renal tubular epithelial cells, the renal epithelial tissue in contact with the layer of renal interstitial tissue to form a three-dimensional, engineered, biological renal tissue. Also disclosed are methods of fabricating and using the same.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic devices, methods and systems as microfluidic kidney on-chips, e.g. human Proximal Tubule-Kidney-Chip, Glomerulus (Kidney)-Chip, Collecting Duct (Kidney)-Chip. Devices, methods and systems are described for drug testing including drug transport and renal clearance. Further, such devices, methods and systems are used for determining drug-drug interactions and their effect upon renal transporter functions. Importantly, they may be used for pre-clinical and clinical drug development for treating kidney diseases and for personalized medicine.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic devices, methods and systems as microfluidic kidney on-chips, e.g. human Proximal Tubule-Kidney-Chip, Glomerulus (Kidney)-Chip, Collecting Duct (Kidney)-Chip. Devices, methods and systems are described for drug testing including drug transport and renal clearance. Further, such devices, methods and systems are used for determining drug-drug interactions and their effect upon renal transporter functions. Importantly, they may be used for pre-clinical and clinical drug development for treating kidney diseases and for personalized medicine.

The present invention is encompassed in the field of biomedicine and more specifically tissue engineering. It relates specifically to an in vitro method for preparing an artificial tissue, to the artificial tissue obtainable by said method and to the use of this artificial tissue to partially or completely increase, restore or replace the functional activity of a damaged tissue or organ.

An organ for transplantation having a kidney, a ureter, and a urinary bladder and an organ structure in which a first ureter, a first urinary bladder, a second ureter and a second urinary bladder are sequentially connected to a kidney can produce urine and excrete the produced urine, and thus is useful for transplantation.

Provided herein are compositions, systems, kits, and methods for generating human podocyte cells by contacting human nephron progenitor cells with an FGFR pathway inhibitor, a BMP pathway inhibitor, and a WNT pathway inhibitor. In certain embodiments, the nephron progenitor cells are further contacted with at least one factor selected from: BMP4, BMP7, lysophosphatidic acid, and gamma-secretase inhibitor XX. In certain embodiments, the contacting the nephron progenitor cells is performed under serum-free conditions.

Disclosed are renal tissues and arrays thereof that include a layer of renal interstitial tissue, the renal interstitial tissue comprising renal fibroblasts and endothelial cells; and a layer of renal epithelial tissue, the renal epithelial tissue comprising renal tubular epithelial cells, the renal epithelial tissue in contact with the layer of renal interstitial tissue to form a three-dimensional, engineered, biological renal tissue. Also disclosed are methods of fabricating and using the same.

Provided herein are compositions, systems, kits, and methods for generating human podocyte cells by contacting human nephron progenitor cells with an FGFR pathway inhibitor, a BMP pathway inhibitor, and a WNT pathway inhibitor. In certain embodiments, the nephron progenitor cells are further contacted with at least one factor selected from: BMP4, BMP7, lysophosphatidic acid, and gamma-secretase inhibitor XX. In certain embodiments, the contacting the nephron progenitor cells is performed under serum-free conditions.

The present invention relates to cell-derived vesicles with increased cellular uptake capacity and a method for producing same. The cell-derived vesicles of the present invention are produced by migrating cells to micropores, and exhibit the characteristic of expressing a protein marker that is different from that of exosomes naturally secreted by cells. The cell-derived vesicles with increased cellular uptake capacity, according to the present invention, have remarkably superior cellular uptake capacity as compared to natural exosomes secreted by cells, and thus can be effectively used to deliver various active substances, such as drugs and marker substances, into target cells.