No abstract

Notch is a highly conserved cell-cell communication mechanism that regulates development, tissue homeostasis and repair. Recent studies indicate that Notch plays a key role in kidney development by establishing proximal tubular epithelial cell fate and cell type specification in the renal collecting system. Notch signalling is markedly reduced in the adult kidney, however, increased Notch signalling has been noted in both acute and chronic kidney injury. Increased glomerular epithelial Notch signaling has been associated with albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis, while tubular epithelial Notch activation might cause altered repair and fibrosis development. Here, we review the role of Notch signalling in the kidney during development as well as in acute and chronic injury.

Purpose of the review The Notch pathway is an evolutionary conserved cell–cell communication mechanism that plays a key role in kidney development. Here we will discuss a number of recently published papers describing the role of Notch signaling in kidney development, homeostasis, injury and repair. Recent findings Recent gene expression studies identified regulation of the Notch pathway in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Mechanistic experiments performed using transgenic and knock-out mouse models indicate that Notch plays an important functional role in the development of proteinuria and renal fibrosis. Inhibition of the Notch pathway ameliorated diabetic kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome and fibrosis in different rodent models. Summary An increasing amount of evidence suggests that Notch plays a role in CKD development. Understanding the role of Notch signaling in the kidney can aid in the development of new therapeutics for CKD.