Murine PKD1 knockout renal tubular cells seeded in silk-scaffolds filled with Matrigel and collagen hydrogels has been shown to reproduce morphological and functional abnormalities present in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney disease (ADPKD) (Subramanian et al., 2010; Subramanian et al., 2012). This evidence concerns the gene PKD1 and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.