New study shows promise for chronic kidney disease therapies in cats

Krakenimages.com/stock.adobe.com

In what could be a breakthrough in veterinary regenerative medicine, an Osaka Metropolitan University-led team of researchers have successfully generated footprint-free, high-quality feline induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).¹ The feline iPSCs, generated in-part from feline uterus-derived cells, could be maintained under feeder-free and chemically-defined conditions. The study, which marks the first time feline iPSCs have been successfully generated, could also have significant implications on the future of feline chronic kidney disease therapy.¹

“Especially in cats, chronic kidney disease and diabetes are serious problems,” Shingo Hatoya, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Veterinary Science professor, who led the study, said in a news release.¹ “Establishing a method to have cells form a kidney or pancreas from feline iPSCs will be a challenge for future research. High-quality feline iPSCs made possible by this research are expected to be provided to researchers around the world for use in veterinary regenerative medicine research, understanding of the pathophysiology of genetic diseases, and development of new therapeutic agents.”

Although human iPSCs have been successfully generated in the past, research has proven the process to be much more difficult in cats. As a result, this achievement by the Osaka Metropolitan University research team marks a first in veterinary medicine. The researchers generated the feline iPSCs, derived from both embryonic and juvenile feline uterus-derived cells, using Sendai virus (SeV) vector, encoding 6 transcription factors—LIN28A, NANOG, OCT3/4, KLF4, and C-MYC.² Transcription factors are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences and control the transfer/transcription of genetic information from DNA to mRNA.³

The researchers reported that these are the first high-quality iPSCs, although they exhibit properties similar to many human iPSCs. Included in these properties is the potential to form teratomas, which indicates that they can differentiate into a variety of cells. Additionally, the feline iPSCs do not have genetic footprints, which suggests a lower risk of forming tumors when implanted in cats. Though further research is required, their footprint-free nature implies there could be widespread application in veterinary regenerative medicine.²

The team expressed the hope that their findings could have significant implications beyond feline medicine. With the significance of the findings, aforementioned similarities to human iPSCs, and conditions under which the feline iPSCs were maintained, the study could facilitate further research into this method’s viability both veterinary and human regenerative medicine.^1,2

References

1. Feeder-free induced pluripotent stem cells show promise for chronic kidney disease therapies in cats. News release. Osaka Metropolitan University. September 4, 2024. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-feeder-free-pluripotent-stem-cells.html#google_vignette
2. Kimura K., Tsukamoto M., Sugisaki H., et al. Generation of footprint-free, high-quality feline induced pluripotent stem cells using Sendai virus vector. Regen Ther. 2024;26:708-716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reth.2024.08.012
3. Transcription factor. Phys.org. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://phys.org/tags/transcription+factors/