Organoids derived from human iPS cells have expanded our discovery toolset to address a wide range of biological and medical problems. The critical achievement unveiled in this study is the establishment of a new protocol to generate kidney organoids with unprecedented maturation of the collecting system, a key component of renal functioning. The authors compared their new method to a conventional one, which was partly used in their method, via a comprehensive evaluation of the organoid maturation, morphology, marker gene expression and scRNAseq. They also succeeded in the reconstitution of signature responses in the organoid collecting system that mimic those found in actual kidney tissues, including responses to renal injury, water channel trafficking, and conversions between collecting duct cell types. Their organoid model will be a significant advancement towards our understanding of human kidney diseases, and facilitate the development of new medicines through the evaluation of efficacy and toxicity in human organotypic kidney.
私の至らない点ですが飽きっぽい性格で5年くらい没頭すると違うことに挑戦してみたくなります。医学部を卒業して5年間は懸命に臨床をやりました。次の5年は国内で大学院生として基礎研究に集中しました。その次の5年は海外で生活したいと思い、米国留学の機会を模索しました。『Get out of the comfort zone』とも言われますが、マンネリを感じたら思い切って環境を変えることも良いかもしれません。
