Use of sub-renal capsule transplantation in developmental biology

• The renal sub-capsular site is excellent for growth of tissue recombinants, human fetal organs and for rescue of organs from embryonic lethal mutant mice.
• Methods of renal sub-capsular are described.
• Use of renal sub-capsular transplantation for rescue of organ rudiments of embryonic lethal mice.
• Use of renal sub-capsular transplantation for analysis of development of human fetal organs.

The sub-renal capsule graft site for in vivo growth and development of developing organs can be used to great advantage in the “rescue” of organ rudiments from “embryonic” or “birth” lethal mutant mice, which permits examination of the full impact of gene knockout in all phases of development from morphogenesis to adult functional differentiation. Another use of the sub-renal capsule graft site is the examination of normal and “chemically perturbed” development of human fetal organs. Tissue recombinants composed of various types of epithelium and mesenchyme, when grafted under the renal capsule undergo normal development and in 3–4 weeks achieve full adult functional cytodifferentiation. The investigator can control many of the developmental parameters of the graft such as endocrine status of the host and treatment of the host with a variety of biologically active agents to assess their effects on development and differentiation.