Although renal transplantation has been proved to be an effective therapeutic strategy for most patients with end-stage renal failure, it is associated with some limitations, including the shortage of donor organs, immune rejection and a lifelong immunosuppressive regimen. Pluripotent stem cells, especially embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, can differentiate into any cell types in the body and show a good prospect of application on tissue and organ regeneration. The research progress of pluripotent stem cells and kidney regeneration is reviewed in this paper.