Internal Medicine/Physiology/Nephrology

E-mail: c.westenfelder@uofu.net, or, Christof.Westenfelder@hsc.utah.edu
Address: Divis. Nephrology, Univ. of Utha HSC
Phone:  (801)581-6700

Use of Adult Stem Cells as Novel Therapy in Kidney Diseases

Research description: Bone marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) have the capacity to differentiate into kidney cells and to home, from the circulation, into the kidney with acute renal failure (ARF). We have shown that administration of MSC is a highly protective form of cell-based therapy, resulting in much improved survival and organ repair in rodents with ischemic ARF (the most common form of clinical ARF, which has a mortality > 50%, urgently needing the development of novel terapies that can be translated to human disease.) The student will conduct with proper mentoring a complete a focused study in which administered stem cells are tracked in the injured kidney, and the mechanisms that underlie these cells' beneficial effects in this otherwise highly serious complication,will be investigated. Techniques used included real time PR, Western blots, histology,immunohistochemistry, confocal laser microscopy, cell culture, proliferation and differentiation assays. Animal studies will not be conducted the student, hwoever, she/he will learn about the experimental models that are commonly used.

Does this research involve human subjects or animals? No

If yes, what is the protocol number?

11/2004