ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2026
Urine-Derived Stem Cells: Challenges in Isolation, Biological Identity, and Therapeutic Potential in CKD-Associated Fibrosis.
Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Urine-derived stem cells (UDSCs) have emerged as a promising cell source for regenerative medicine due to their non-invasive procurement, high proliferative capacity, and potential relevance to kidney-specific repair. Unlike conventional mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from bone marrow or adipose tissue, UDSCs originate from multiple regions of the urinary tract and exhibit a unique biological profile that combines MSC characteristics with features of renal progenitor populations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of UDSC biology, including their origin, isolation strategies, morphology, immunophenotypic characteristics, differentiation potential, and secretory profile. Particular attention is given to the expression of renal lineage-associated markers and pluripotency-related factors that may contribute to their regenerative capacity. The bioactive mediators of UDSCs regulate inflammation, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby influencing key pathways implicated in chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated fibrosis. Furthermore, the intrinsic renal progenitor signature of UDSCs may provide advantages in renal homing and tissue-specific repair compared with conventional MSC populations. Despite encouraging preclinical findings, significant challenges remain, including cellular heterogeneity, inconsistent isolation efficiency, lack of standardized characterization criteria, and limited clinical validation. Collectively, current evidence positions UDSCs as a biologically distinct and therapeutically attractive platform for kidney regeneration.
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Registered trials
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 Socratic graph.