Kidney Development: Cellular and Molecular Insights
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 November 2026 | Viewed by 1363
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The kidney is a highly specialized organ essential for maintaining fluid balance, electrolyte homeostasis, blood pressure regulation, and waste excretion. Its development requires precise coordination of signaling pathways, cellular differentiation, and morphogenetic processes. In recent years, advances in cellular and molecular biology, combined with the use of powerful experimental models, have significantly expanded our understanding of nephrogenesis. Transgenic mice, zebrafish, and other model organisms have been instrumental in uncovering the genetic and molecular mechanisms that govern nephron patterning, progenitor cell fate, and organ morphogenesis.
Complementary to these models, high-resolution genomic technologies have transformed the field. Bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell RNA-sequencing provide transcriptomic maps that define cell populations and lineage trajectories during kidney development, while ATAC-seq and single-cell ATAC-seq reveal the chromatin landscape and epigenetic regulation underlying cell fate decisions. Together, these tools offer unprecedented insight into the interplay of transcriptional, epigenetic, and signaling networks such as Wnt, FGF, BMP, and Notch.
Importantly, these developmental insights are directly relevant to human health. Disruption of the same pathways leads to congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), chronic kidney disease, and impaired blood pressure regulation through defective nephron number or renin–angiotensin system development. This Special Issue seeks to integrate discoveries from model systems, multi-omics, and human disease studies to deepen our understanding of kidney development and to inform potential therapeutic strategies for congenital and acquired renal disorders.
Dr. Renfang Song Taylor
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- kidney development
- nephrogenesis
- single-cell RNA-seq/ATAC-seq
- congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT)
- blood pressure regulation
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