Editorial: Advances in the research of diabetic nephropathy, volume II

Abstract

Editroial on the Research TopicAdvances in the research of diabetic nephropathy volume II In the past, renal impairment due to diabetes mellitus was predominantly a condition that was first preceded by albuminuria and then followed by a decrease in eGFR (1, 2). Recently, however, a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) without obvious albuminuria has been observed. Therefore, the concept of diabetic kidney disease has been proposed as an umbrella concept for diabetic nephropathy (1, 2). In recent years, improvements in renal prognosis with SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists have been reported, and the effects of these drugs are actually felt in clinical practice (3), but the pathogenesis of DKD still remains largely unexplored.Recently, the role of proximal renal tubule cells in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease has been the focus of research (4). Diabetic glomerulonephropathy is mainly injury to glomeruli. In contrast, diabetic kidney disease involves not only renal glomerulonephropathy but also tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Based on the anatomically distinct regions of kidney biopsy samples, diabetic kidney disease can be divided into glomerular diabetic kidney disease and tubular diabetic kidney disease. The common characteristics of glomerular diabetic kidney disease involve a damaged glomerular filtration barrier, mesangial cell proliferation, and glomerulosclerosis. The major manifestations of tubular diabetic kidney disease include dysfunction of renal tubular reabsorption and secretion and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (4). The mechanisms of glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury in diabetic kidney disease are different, but there are many intersections of the related pathways and mediators. Furthermore, proximal tubular injury has an important role in the progression of diabetic kidney disease with/without proteinuria (2, 4). Therefore, in this volume, some papers focused on renal tubular epithelial cells.The cilium is a microtubule-based organelle that projects from the surface of most vertebrate cell types and detects and transmits extracellular signals ( 5). The ciliary life cycle is also closely related to the cell cycle. Renal primary cilia are sensory antennas required for the Frontiers in Endocrinology frontiersin.org 01