Acute renal failure is one of the most common complications observed in hospitals. Although extensive studies have been carried out to search for therapeutic treatments, no effective cure has been established. In recent years, stem cell therapy for tissue engineering and repair has become a key area of study. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated to exhibit a reparative role in ischemia reperfusion-injured kidney tissue, and the stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis has been found to play an important role in the migration and homing of MSCs. In the present study, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the homogenate of the acute ischemia reperfusion-injured renal tissue was found to markedly increase the CXCR4 surface expression of MSCs, which contributes to the migration of MSCs to SDF-1. Neutralization of TGF-β1 inhibited the migration in an antibody concentration-dependent manner, through downregulation of CXCR4 localized to the membrane. These observations suggest a potential mechanism for MSC migration to the kidney which may provide a possible therapeutic target for curing acute renal failure.