The anti-ageing protein the kidney makes most of
Quick answer
Klotho is produced mainly in the kidney and acts as an antioxidant, anti-senescence, pro-angiogenic and phosphate-regulating protein. Its levels fall early in chronic kidney disease. Korean cell therapy research such as KDSTEM inj. therefore selects cells expressing high Klotho, on the hypothesis that they reduce oxidative stress and renal fibrosis.
Klotho falls before eGFR changes appreciably, so researchers see it not merely as a consequence of disease but as part of the loop that drives further decline. Restoring or boosting Klotho therefore became an attractive therapeutic target.
Klotho also governs phosphate handling through FGF23, the axis behind the bone and vascular abnormalities of CKD. That is part of why kidney patients so often develop vascular calcification and bone fragility alongside renal decline.
The caveat: most evidence remains animal and mechanistic. Cells expressing Klotho in a dish does not automatically translate into clinical benefit in people. Always ask what human data exists.
No. Klotho is a protein digested in the gut, and oral products claiming to raise it lack solid clinical evidence.
It is largely a research assay rather than routine hospital testing; standard monitoring still relies on eGFR and UACR.
Research links it to vascular, bone and brain health, but that is mechanistic and epidemiological, not a treatment indication.
They come from the urinary tract lineage, can be collected without any needle or surgery, and are reported to express Klotho well.
Some studies associate regular exercise with higher Klotho, but that is not a direct kidney treatment.
5 points • reviewed 2026-09-02
Reviewed and last updated: 2026-09-02
5 sources • every claim is traceable
https://www.ehlbio.co.kr/rd/institute/
https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/index.do
https://www.mohw.go.kr/eng/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/
Last updated: 2026-09-02 · This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified doctor before making treatment decisions.
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