This is a single center, open-label dose-escalating study assessing safety, tolerability, dosing effect, and early signals of efficacy of intra-arterially delivered autologous (from self) adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) in 30 patients with progressive diabetic kidney disease (DKD). DKD will be defined as chronic kidney disease (CKD; estimated glomerular filtration rate; eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m2) in the setting of diabetes mellitus (type 2; on anti-diabetes therapy) without overt etiologies of CKD beyond concomitant hypertension. Progressive DKD will be considered as eGFR 25-55 ml/min/1.73m2 with a) eGFR decline of 5 ml/min over 18 months or 10 ml/min over 3 years or b) an intermediate or high 5-year risk of progression to end-stage kidney failure (dialysis or transplant) based on the validated Tangri 4-variable (age, sex, eGFR, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio) kidney failure risk equation. Fifteen subjects will be placed in one of two cell dosage arms in a parallel design with single-kidney MSC administration at Day 0 and Month 3. Subjects will be followed a total of 15 months from time of initial cell administration.
The Researchers will assess the safety, tolerability, dosing effect, and early signals of efficacy of intra-arterially delivered autologous (from self) adipose (fat) tissue-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) in patients with progressive diabetic kidney disease (DKD).