Kidney is complex organ with multiple functions. Besides cleansing the blood of endo- and exogeneous compounds, it is also responsible of activating vitamin D and maintaining water and electrolyte balance, and with that it remotely sustains the activity of other organs. Specialized cells decorated with transporters and receptors are highly sensitive to environmental changes and, as a result, adapt their functions to maintain body’s homeostasis. When kidneys fail, due to acquired or genetic conditions, a chain of biochemical events leads to metabolic disturbances in distant organs, and just like a domino effect, they become diseased, leading to life-changing comorbidities. Using functional tissue replicates, via tissue engineering approaches, we can reconstruct the pathological conditions associated with the kidney diseases and pursue the elucidation of those mechanisms that lead to disease progression and identify druggable targets. In her research, Silvia focuses on the use of advanced in vitro models to replicate kidney diseases and the communication between the kidneys and other organs (such as gut and bone), to highlight the complex pathophysiology associated with kidney diseases.