Renal Organogenesis from Transplanted Metanephric Primordia

One novel solution to the shortage of human organs available for transplantation envisions growing new organs in situ via xenotransplantation of developing primordia from animal embryos. It has been shown that renal primordia (metanephroi) transplanted into animal hosts undergo organogenesis in situ, become vascularized by blood vessels of host origin, and exhibit excretory function. Metanephroi can be stored for up to 3 d in vitro before transplantation with no impairment in growth or function post-implantation. Metanephroi can be transplanted across both concordant (rat to mouse) and highly disparate (pig to rodent) xenogeneic barriers. This is a review of studies exploring the therapeutic potential for renal organogenesis posttransplantation of kidney primordia.