"Groundbreaking Study Reveals Kidney Cells' Remarkable Self-Renewal Abilities"
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have discovered a unique "housekeeping" process in kidney cells that allows them to eliminate unwanted cellular contents and renew themselves without cell division. This self-renewal mechanism, which is different from how other tissues regenerate, helps explain the long-term health of kidneys. The discovery may have implications for nanomedicine and early detection of kidney disease. The researchers found that gold nanoparticles taken in by kidney cells are encased in lysosomes and other organelles, which are then extruded into vesicles that float off into the extracellular space. This process, called extrusion-mediated self-renewal, allows the cells to update themselves with fresh contents and function properly.