{"id":787,"date":"2016-03-21T11:11:04","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T18:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/usc-researchers-discover-a-key-difference-between-mouse-and-human-kidney-stem-cells\/"},"modified":"2023-11-19T12:10:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T20:10:08","slug":"usc-researchers-discover-a-key-difference-between-mouse-and-human-kidney-stem-cells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/usc-researchers-discover-a-key-difference-between-mouse-and-human-kidney-stem-cells\/","title":{"rendered":"USC researchers discover a key difference between mouse and human kidney stem cells"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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USC researchers discover a key difference between mouse and human kidney stem cells<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n Cristy Lytal<\/span>\n \n March 21, 2016<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
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Embryonic day 15.5 mouse kidney next to a 15.5 week human fetal kidney with SIX2 (cyan) marking the nephron progenitor cells. The collecting duct system is red, and nuclei are in blue. (Image by Lori O\u2019Brien)<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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The best laid plans of mice and men are a bit different \u2014 at least when it comes to kidney development. Compared to a mouse, a human has nearly 100 times more nephrons, the functional units of the kidneys. Humans may owe these abundant nephrons to a gene called SIX1, according to a new paper published in the journal Development.
\nIn the paper, USC Stem Cell researcher Lori O\u2019Brien from the laboratory of Andy McMahon and her colleagues noticed that while SIX1 plays a fleeting and early role in mouse kidney development, it may have a more substantial role in human kidney development.
\nIn the developing mouse, where around 13,000 nephrons are generated over a two-week span, SIX1 ceases its activity by the time the kidney has grown its first branches \u2014 right at the beginning of the two weeks.
\nIn the developing human, where around one million nephrons are formed over a 30-week period, SIX1 remains present well beyond the initial round of branching.<\/p>\n