Francipane and colleagues have begun to unravel some of the molecular signaling – focusing on the lymphotoxin-ß receptor (LTßR) pathway in particular – that appears to be crucial for engrafted kidney tissue to grow and function properly. Here, we show that signaling through the lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTβR) is critical for kidney organogenesis both in the LN and the omentum. By transplanting kidney rudiments either in the LNs of mice undergoing LTβR antagonist treatment or in the omenta of Ltbr knockout (Ltbr-/-) mice, the host LTβR signals were found to be crucial for obtaining a well-vascularized kidney graft.
View the full peer-reviewed scientific paper on the American Journal of Pathology.
