Review ArticleStem cell therapy: An emerging modality in glomerular diseases

- Therapeutic options for glomerular diseases include symptomatic treatment and strategies to delay progression towards renal failure.
- Stem cell therapy (SCT) is an upcoming promising therapeutic option for glomerular diseases. The putative events leading to renal repair by stem cells include immunomodulation, inhibition of fibrosis, protective action due to their paracrine factors, including proteins and extracellular vesicle released genetic material from the transplanted cells, proliferation of neighboring cells, and scavenger effect of oxidative stress.
- Progression of glomerular diseases to end stage renal diseases can be arrested/halted by SCT.
- SCT is safe, viable and easily reproducible treatment modality with effective renal function improvement for glomerular diseases.

The kidney has been considered a highly terminally differentiated organ with low proliferative potential and thus unlikely to undergo regeneration. Glomerular disease progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which requires dialysis or renal transplantation for better quality of life for patients with ESRD. Because of the shortage of implantable kidneys and complications such as immune rejection, septicemia and toxicity of immunosuppression, kidney transplantation remains a challenge. Therapeutic options available for glomerular disease include symptomatic treatment and strategies to delay progression. In an attempt to develop innovative treatments by promoting the limited capability of regeneration and repair after kidney injury and overcome the progressive pathological process that is uncontrolled with conventional treatment modalities, stem cell-based therapy has emerged as novel intervention due to its ability to inhibit inflammation and promote regeneration. Recent developments in cell therapy have demonstrated promising therapeutic outcomes in terms of restoration of renal structure and function. This review focuses on stem cell therapy approaches for the treatment of glomerular disease, including the various cell sources used and recent advances in preclinical and clinical studies.