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As mentioned above, the only cure for kidney failure today is the transplant from matching donor. As it is not always possible, the alternative is dialysis which brings own problems including often hospital visit, need for vascular surgical procedures, etc.

Stem cells seem to bring revolution in all branches of medical science. Embryonic stem cells can be taken from umbilical cord or placenta, and they are the most powerful, but for some purposes, adult stem cells taken from bone marrow can also be useful.

Many studies on laboratory animals have been conducted with the aim to develop functional kidneys using different types of stem cells. It sounds like a dream to develop a fully functional kidney in a Petri dish and implant it in human body. The problem of guided differentiation of stem cells stated in the above article is very real. Namely, during the embryonic period, there are many factors that affect organ development including cytokines, growth factors, and physical contact with surrounding cells and tissues.

Although it may seem unreachable, scientists were working very hard and succeeded to identify most of the mechanisms that guide embryonic stem cells through the differentiation process. A recent study conducted by Narayanan and his collaborators at Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore, showed the process of the development of human embryonic stem cell into renal tubular cells in artificial environment. They exposed stem cells to different supplements and growth factors, and succeeded to develop a guideline for stem cell differentiation. The resulting cells showed structural and functional properties of renal tubular cells which was fascinating. However, the results were not perfect as the differentiation was partial in some cases.

In order to improve this technique, further research is needed, but once the scientists develop a fully functional human kidney, it will be the salvation for patients with all types of kidney disease.