KIDNEY LONGEVITY

Kidney longevity
Beginning with cellular repair

Cell identification, repair signals and renal tubular organoids, explored across six studies

THE QUESTION

Why begin with the kidneys?

The kidneys carry out essential functions in filtration, metabolism and the body’s internal balance. Science continues to investigate how their cells respond to injury and contribute to repair.

Our research interest in kidney longevity focuses on how kidney cells repair and renal tubules regenerate.

INFINITE BLUEPRINT focuses on kidney progenitor cells and renal tubular repair, developing topical products through original ingredients.

REPAIR & SIGNALS

Seeing how cells contribute to repair

SOX9-positive cells

SOX9 is a transcription factor that helps identify particular cell states. Research in mice after partial nephrectomy observed the activation of these cells and the repair process.

Notch signaling

Notch is a signaling pathway through which cells communicate. Using tissue staining and molecular experiments, researchers explored its relationship with the activation of SOX9-positive cells.

Secreted factors

Cells can also affect surrounding tissue through their secretions. A 2023 study further investigated this paracrine activity, including S100A9 as a candidate factor.

Experimental figures on Notch signaling and SOX9-positive cells (animal research) · Original paper

BUILDING TUBULAR ORGANOIDS

From single cells to renal tubular structures

Luminal structures and functional observations after transplantation of human urine-derived progenitor cells (2021 study) · Original paper

Progress in building in vitro

A 2023 study in Life Medicine generated renal tubular organoids from adult SOX9-positive kidney progenitor cells, using single-cell sequencing to examine their cell types and states.

Renal tubular organoids are three-dimensional cell structures grown outside the body to study how renal tubules form and repair.

Read the renal tubular organoid study

FROM SCIENCE TO LIFE

From research to distinct translation pathways

Basic research

Experiments with cells, animal models and in vitro tissues progressively clarify the mechanisms of repair.

View papers

Clinical exploration

Kidney progenitor cell technology is being studied in a Phase I clinical trial at medical institutions, focusing on safety and tolerability.

View clinical progress

Daily care

Bio-Pilot Essence is a topical essence formulated with kidney-derived extract as a skin-conditioning ingredient.

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READ THE SCIENCE

Every finding leads back to its source

2018 · Life Sci

Cellular clues to endogenous repair

In a mouse model of partial nephrectomy, Notch signaling was involved in activating Sox9-positive cells, and renal tubular repair was observed.

Animal model · Repair mechanismsRead the study ↗

2021 · Protein Cell

Kidney progenitors from human urine

A single-cell atlas of adult urine identified SOX9-positive kidney progenitor cells. After intrarenal transplantation, human-derived cell clones formed luminal structures with some renal tubular features in injured immunodeficient mice.

Human samples · Single-cell sequencing and mouse transplantationRead the study ↗

2023 · Cell Prolif

How cells communicate repair signals

SOX9-positive renal epithelial cells showed secretion-related characteristics in injury models. Cell implantation or administration of conditioned medium promoted repair in mice, with S100A9 identified as a candidate key secreted factor.

Basic research · Cell-secreted factorsRead the study ↗

2023 · Life Med

Building renal tubular organoids in vitro

Adult SOX9-positive kidney progenitor cells formed renal tubular organoids under specific in vitro culture conditions. Cell types were analyzed by single-cell sequencing.

In vitro research · Renal tubular organoidsRead the study ↗

2023 · Clin Kidney J

Urine cell atlas and immune differences

An observational single-cell analysis of urine from healthy individuals and patients with different membranous nephropathy outcomes identified differences in macrophage origins and functions.

Human samples · Observational studyRead the study ↗

2023 · Theranostics

Tracing the cellular origins of renal tubular regeneration

Lineage tracing and single-cell sequencing in a mouse model of severe acute kidney injury supported the contribution of WT1-positive glomerular parietal epithelial progenitor cells to proximal tubule regeneration.

Animal model · Lineage tracingRead the study ↗

BIO-PILOT ESSENCE / 003