There are several studies showing the potential of this cell model since especially since the viral tropism is high once kidney cells express co-receptors and receptors needed to viral recognition thus turning them more susceptible to viral infection.
Check this paper, it is very explanatory:
Article In-vitro renal epithelial cell infection reveals a viral kid...
Simply because of their reliable growth and propensity for transfection, also it's able to undergo on a stable subcultures by proliferate to confluency as an explant culture. for more details plz have a look on the attached paper..