University of Texas at Dallas scientists have discovered a previously unknown “housekeeping” process in kidney cells that ejects unwanted content, resulting in cells that rejuvenate themselves and remain functioning and healthy. In cases of mild injury or disease, kidney cells do have limited repair capabilities, and stem cells in the kidney can form new kidney cells, but only up to a point, said Dr. Jie Zheng, professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and co-corresponding author of the study. “In most scenarios, if kidney cells are severely injured, they will die, and they cannot regenerate,” said Zheng, a Distinguished Chair in Natural Sciences and Mathematics. That’s a big challenge in health management for kidney disease. Part of that work has focused on understanding how gold nanoparticles are filtered by the kidneys and cleared from the body through urine.