Podocytes in the Kidney Do Not Regenerate and Are Lost with Age
Array tomography in rats shows mature podocytes do not regenerate with age; remaining cells hypertrophy (~4.6-fold), form atypical autocellular junctions, fragment and export lysosomal/multivesicular contents into the urinary space as compensatory responses that ultimately risk glomerular dysfunction.
Why it mattersPodocyte nonregeneration and 4.6-fold hypertrophy mean developers must prioritize podocyte-replacement or protective therapies to prevent renal.