My son and I enjoy making origami together. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we read an article about how difficult it is for scientists to grow kidneys from stem cells because kidneys have such a complex structure.

As we read, we began to imagine something surprising. To imagine means to form a picture or idea in your mind, even if you cannot see it. It means thinking creatively and making connections that are not obvious.

We imagined that kidney development might be similar to origami. In origami, there is something called 'disappearing creases.' Early in the folding process, you make certain folds on purpose. Later, as the paper becomes more complex, those folds are hidden inside the final shape. You cannot see them anymore but the paper 'remembers' them. Without those hidden creases, the final model would not exist.

Then I remembered something from embryology class. During development, humans form three stages of the kidney in sequence: the pronephros, the mesonephros, and the metanephros. The first, the pronephros, is a primitive structure and disappears early. The second, mesonephros, functions temporarily but ultimately disappears in females. The third, metanephros, develops into the permanent kidney. This reminded us of the hidden folds in origami.

So we imagined that the early kidneys are like disappearing creases. They are temporary structures. They are not visible in the final body. But they guide development. They help shape what comes next.

Imagination led to the origami and kidney health awareness exhibition my son has curated for the past six years. By combining art and science, we hope to encourage innovative thinking about how to address the architectural and vascular challenges of building kidneys from stem cells and, one day, maybe inspire breakthroughs in regenerative medicine.