Non-immunologic targets of immunosuppressive agents in podocytes

Publication date: Available online 9 April 2015 Source:Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Author(s): Tae-Hyun Yoo , Alessia Fornoni Proteinuria is a characteristic finding in glomerular diseases and is closely associated with renal outcomes. In addition, therapeutic interventions that reduce proteinuria improves renal prognosis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that podocytes act as key modulators of glomerular injury and proteinuria. Podocytes, or glomerular visceral epithelial cells, are highly specialized and differentiated cells and inter-digitated foot process with neighboring podocytes are bridged by an extracellular structure, known as the slit diaphragm (SD), which play an important role in size- and charge-selective barrier to plasma protein. Derangement of SD structure, loss of SD associated protein result in podocyte injury and proteinuria. During the past decades, several immune-modulating agents have been used for the treatment of glomerular diseases and for the reduction of proteinuria. Interestingly, recent studies demonstrated that immunosuppressive agents can directly affect to the SD associated proteins and stabilize actin-cytoskeleton in podocyte and have therefore introduced the concept of non-immunologic mechanism of renoprotection by immunomodulators. This review explored the podocyte as the direct target of immune-modulating agents.
Source: Kidney Research and Clinical Practice - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research