Podocyte loss is a major determinant of progressive CKD. Although recent studies showed
that a subset of parietal epithelial cells can serve as podocyte progenitors, the role of
podocyte turnover and regeneration in repair, aging, and nephron loss remains unclear.
Here, we combined genetic fate mapping with highly efficient podocyte isolation protocols to
precisely quantify podocyte turnover and regeneration. We demonstrate that parietal
epithelial cells can give rise to fully differentiated visceral epithelial cells indistinguishable …