Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42036700›Full record

ArticleStem cell research & therapy2026

Induction of fibrosis in human kidney organoids delineates mechanisms and therapeutic targets of fibrotic kidney disease.

Markus C Doeser, Julia Raimann, Maren Beuke, Zeynep Kilcan, Amélie F Menke, Barbara M Klinkhammer, Peter Boor, Hans R Schöler, Hermann Pavenstädt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Markus C DoeserDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany. markus.doeser@ukmuenster.de.ORCID 0000-0003-3582-1506
Julia RaimannDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Maren BeukeDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Zeynep KilcanDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Amélie F MenkeDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Barbara M KlinkhammerInstitute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany.
Peter BoorInstitute of Pathology, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany.
Hans R SchölerDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.
Hermann PavenstädtDepartment of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDeveloping regenerative therapies to restore kidney function in patients with progressive renal disease represents a major challenge for modern molecular nephrology. Kidney organoids, three-dimensional kidney-like structures, which can now be generated by the directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells, have emerged as a powerful tool to study kidney development, physiology, and mechanisms of renal disease in vitro. Ultimately, kidney organoids may serve as an experimental platform to unravel the pathomechanisms of renal fibrosis and to test regenerative treatment approaches targeting fibrotic kidney diseases. However, the fibrotic phenotype in kidney organoids and its utility as a disease model remain to be fully characterized.

methodsThree-dimensional self-organizing kidney organoids containing nephrons and stromal cells were exposed to TGF-β1 cytokine to induce fibrotic remodeling. Organoids were analyzed by RNA sequencing and histology.

resultsActivation of TGF-β1 signaling in kidney organoids induced hallmarks of human kidney fibrosis, such as tubular atrophy, glomerulosclerosis, and interstitial fibrosis. RNA sequencing highlighted differential regulation of key pathways in kidney fibrosis: epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, inflammation, metabolism, and JAK/STAT signaling. We identified candidate mediators of kidney fibrosis such as the JAK-STAT downstream target PIM1. Inhibition of PIM1 with the small molecule AZD1208 attenuated fibrosis development in the organoids.

conclusionsKidney organoids are an amenable system for modeling kidney fibrosis and may guide therapeutic discovery.

Indexed as

KidneyKidney DiseasesOrganoidsEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionFibrosisHumansSignal TransductionTransforming Growth Factor beta1Transforming Growth Factor beta13D cell cultureChronic kidney diseaseDisease modelingGlomerulosclerosisHuman pluripotent stem cellsJAK/STATRenal failure

Identifiers

PMID42036700
PMCPMC13130776

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.