Urine Stem Cells Support B Cell Survival

The role of stem cells in maintaining tissue homeostasis has been well documented, particularly their ability to modulate the local immune response. Now, a new STEM CELLS article from researchers led by Xin‐Fu Zhou (University of South Australia) and Plinio R. Hurtado (Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia) report on the ability of urine stem cells (USCs) to modulate immune cell properties. Zidan et al. reveal that USCs, which are resident in the kidney, promote B lymphocyte function, a finding that may change our understanding of the kidneys' typical immune environment and immune‐mediated nephropathy.