Our work shows that unilateral MSC/HA delivery under the kidney capsule improves cell localization to the injured tissue and decreases urinary NGAL and markers of renal fibrosis in both kidneys in mice subjected to bilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury compared to delivering MSCs suspended in media either intravenously or directly under the kidney capsule. Here, LCN2 is linked to ischemia reperfusion injury.