The primary kidney cell line serves as an invaluable asset for drug development stages since it provides a reliable technique for simulating mechanisms of diseases and testing drug efficacy in vitro. It is especially useful in the study of rare kidney diseases, which are often understudied. Protheragen provides full development of primary kidney cell line services designed for the complexity of rare kidney diseases.
Introduction to Primary Kidney Cells
Primary kidney cells are those which are directly isolated from kidney tissues and are expected to have the same living physiological functions of a kidney. Primary kidney cells are non-immortalized and therefore, offer a better model for the physiology of human kidneys as compared to other alternative cell lines. Proximal tubular epithelial cells, podocytes, mesangial cells and endothelial cells are all included in primary kidney cells. Each of them has its own important contribution in regard to kidneys' physiology and pathophysiology.
Fig.1 The distribution and morphological changes of intercalated cells along the nephron. (Kang, M. J., et al., 2024)
Challenges in Primary Kidney Cell Line Development
Cellular Heterogeneity and Functional Purity
Primary kidney tissues contain mixed cell populations, complicating isolation of disease-relevant subsets like podocytes or tubular epithelia. Recent techniques, such as antibody-based microfluidic sorting or scRNA-seq-guided enrichment, improve purity while preserving functional markers.
Dedifferentiation and Phenotypic Instability
Primary renal cells rapidly lose in vivo characteristics in conventional 2D cultures. Emerging 3D organoid systems with ECM-mimetic hydrogels and hypoxia-mimicking conditions restore structural and metabolic features, enabling long-term studies of disease mechanisms.
Microenvironmental Complexity Replication
Native kidney cells rely on intricate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, which are disrupted in vitro. Co-culture systems (e.g., glomerular endothelial cells with podocytes on microfluidic chips) and dynamic mechanical stimuli now replicate in vivo microenvironments.
Our Services
Protheragen develops primary kidney cell lines services that are specifically tailored to facilitate research and drug development for rare kidney diseases. By applying state-of-the-art methods, we formulate tailored primary kidney cell lines from human or animal kidney tissues while ensuring that the cells maintain their native characteristics as podocytes, mesangial cells, and renal tubular epithelial cells.
Primary Kidney Cell Line Development Services
- Primary Kidney Cell Line Isolation: We use either established canonical methods, cutting-edge strategies, or a hybrid of both to isolate primary kidney cells that are derived from fresh renal tissues. This also includes specialized protocols for podocytes, mesangial cells, and renal tubular epithelial cells.
- Primary Kidney Cell Line Culture: For primary kidney cells to thrive and maintain their unique characteristics, we prepare optimized culture conditions that promote cell expansion. These conditions include modification of media compositions, growth factors, and extracellular matrix components for different types of kidney cells.
- Primary Kidney Cell Line Identification: The verification of the primary kidney cell lines is done through a set of experiments which includes morphological examinations through microscopy and the verification of cellular markers and functional tests such as barrier filtration assays.
Primary Kidney Cell Line Development for Various Rare Kidney Diseases
Protheragen leverages its vast experience in kidney research to primary kidney cell line development services. We have extensive knowledge in kidney disease modeling and are prepared to meet any challenges regarding primary kidney cell line developing by providing unique and customized approaches to further your primary scientific objectives.
Why Choose Protheragen?
Professional core technical team.
Advanced experimental equipment.
Empowering success through cooperation.
Strict quality control system.
At Protheragen, we are dedicated to offering comprehensive, one-stop preclinical development services, specializing in primary kidney cell line development for kidney disease research. From diseases model development to drug safety evaluation, our services support every stage of your research process. If you are interested in our services, please don't hesitate to contact us.
References
- Kang, M. J., et al. "The Study of Intercalated Cells Using Ex Vivo Techniques: Primary Cell Culture, Cell Lines, Kidney Slices, and Organoids." Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 326.1 (2024): C229-C51.
- Marschner, J. A., et al. "A "Kidney-on-the-Chip" Model Composed of Primary Human Tubular, Endothelial, and White Blood Cells." Methods Mol Biol 2664 (2023): 107-21.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
