Recent trends in the development of in vitro 3D kidney models

The kidneys are vital for maintaining bodily homeostasis and are susceptible to various diseases that disrupt their function. Traditionally, research on kidney diseases has relied on animal models and simplistic two-dimensional cell cultures, which do not fully replicate human tissue pathology. To address this, recent advances focus on developing advanced 3D biomimetic in vitro models using human-derived cells. These models mimic healthy and diseased kidney tissues with specificity, replicating key elements like glomerular and tubular structures through tissue engineering. By closely mimicking human physiology, they provide a promising platform for studying renal disorders, drug-induced nephrotoxicity, and evaluating new therapies. However, the challenges include optimizing scalability, reproducibility, and long-term stability to enhance reliability in research and clinical applications. This review highlights the transformative potential of 3D biomimetic in vitro kidney models in advancing biomedical research and clinical applications. By focusing on human-specific cell cultures and tissue engineering techniques, these models aim to overcome the limitations of conventional animal models and simplistic 2D cell cultures. The review discusses in detail the various types of biomimetic kidney models currently under development, their specific applications, and the innovative approaches used to construct them. It also addresses the challenges and limitations associated with these models for their widespread adoption and reliability in research settings.