Isolated populations of adult renal cells and methods of isolating and using same

Abstract

A method of generating a nephrospheroid is disclosed. The method comprises culturing human adult kidney cells in a culture medium under non-adherent conditions. Uses thereof and other renal cell populations are also disclosed.

1 . A method of generating a nephrospheroid, the method comprising culturing human adult kidney cells in a culture medium under non-adherent conditions, thereby generating the nephrospheroid. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising dispersing said human adult kidney cells prior to culturing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said medium further comprises epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said medium further comprises insulin and progesterone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said medium is devoid of serum. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said medium comprises serum. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising expanding human adult kidney cells in a culture medium under adherent conditions prior to said culturing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said culture medium comprises serum. 
     
     
         9 . An isolated nephrospheroid comprising human adult kidney cells. 
     
     
         10 . The isolated nephrospheroid of  claim 9 , characterized by enhanced expression of at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of sal1, pax2, six2 and WT1 as compared to said adult kidney cells grown under adherent conditions. 
     
     
         11 . The isolated nephrospheroid of  claim 9 , characterized by enhanced expression of each of sal1, pax2, six2 and WT1 as compared to said adult kidney cells grown under adherent conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The isolated nephrospheroid of  claim 9 , having being generated in serum-free medium. 
     
     
         13 . The isolated nephrospheroid of  claim 9 , having being generated in serum-containing medium. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of isolating human adult renal cells comprising enriching for a subpopulation of renal cells from an adult renal tissue, said subpopulation of renal cells having a NCAM+ signature, wherein said enriching is effected such that at least 80% of the adult renal cells are of said subpopulation of renal cells. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said enriching is effected by detecting surface marker expression of NCAM. 
     
     
         17 . A method of determining clonogenic potential of an adult renal cell population, the method comprising:
 (a) culturing the adult renal cell population in serum-comprising medium and conditioned medium from human fetal kidney cells; and   (b) counting a number of clones formed from the adult renal cells of said population, thereby determining clonogenic potential of an adult renal cell population.   
     
     
         18 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A cell culture comprising a culture medium and an isolated population of nephrospheroids, said nephrospheroids comprising human adult kidney cells. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled)