Overview

USC Stem Cell scientists are advancing our understanding of how the body develops, maintains and repairs the kidney and urinary system. They are also developing new regenerative treatments for the millions of patients with kidney injury and disease, bladder injury and disease, and urinary incontinence.

Statistics

  • One in 10 adults in the U.S.—more than 20 million people—are suffering from some degree of chronic kidney disease. Common causes include diabetes and high blood pressure.
  • 13 million people in the U.S. experience urinary incontinence, frequently as a result of childbirth.

Researchers

Kidney and Urinary System News

USC CIRM COMPASS scholars with stem cell faculty members Senta Georgia, Francesca Mariani and Louise Menendez (Photo courtesy of Senta Georgia)

Guided by COMPASS, USC undergraduates navigate stem cell research at inaugural symposium

Thirty undergraduates gathered to share their research at the first year-end symposium for USC CIRM COMPASS, a comprehensive two-year program designed to prepare juniors and seniors for careers in stem cell biology …

USC Stem Cell scientists watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean during a Q&A with keynote speaker Aileen Anderson. (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Getting lost in translation—the clinical kind—at USC’s stem cell retreat

At the retreat for USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, newly appointed leader Chuck Murry shared a vision as sweeping as the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean from …

Illustrations by Doug Chayka

Cell by cell: Rebuilding the body

USC researchers are revolutionizing how we treat disease by harnessing stem cells as “living medicine.” Anyone who’s healed from a cut or a scrape has witnessed the incredible regenerative power of stem …

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Kidney and Urinary System Videos

Dr. Nils Lindström's lab studies the molecular mechanisms that control how progenitors that exist during development differentiate into the broad range of cell types that underpin adult organ function. The lab integrates single-cell omic approaches with new microscopy and computational tools to understand how genetic changes cause abnormal differentiation in the kidney and model these genetic changes in the renal stem-cell derived organoid with the aim of identifying new treatments for kidney disease.
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