Overview

• A Cell Stem Cell study reports integrating nephron and collecting-duct organoids into spatially patterned structures derived from mouse and human cells.
• After transplantation, the assembloids expanded with connective tissue and blood vessels, reflecting progenitor-driven self-assembly in vivo.
• Mouse assembloids matched neonatal kidney benchmarks by gene activity and function, while human counterparts matured beyond embryonic stages without a defined equivalence due to limited newborn reference data.
• Both models performed kidney-like tasks, including blood filtration, albumin uptake, hormone secretion, and early urine production.
• PKD2-deficient human assembloids formed large cysts with inflammation and fibrosis in mice, providing a high-fidelity platform for ADPKD research alongside reported funding and intellectual-property disclosures.