New Insights into Podocyte Biology in Glomerular Health and Disease

Abstract

Podocyte and glomerular research is center stage for the development of improved preventive and therapeutic strategies for chronic progressive kidney diseases. Held April 3-6, 2016, the 11th International Podocyte Conference took place in Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel, where participants from all over the world presented their work on new developments in podocyte research. In this review, we briefly highlight the advances made in characterizing the mechanisms involved in podocyte development, metabolism, acquired injury, and repair, including progress in determining the roles of genetic variants and microRNA in particular, as well as the advances made in diagnostic techniques and therapeutics.

Cannabinoid‐1 receptor deletion in podocytes mitigates both glomerular and tubular dysfunction in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy

“…Podocyte foot processes form slits that represent 1 layer of the glomerular filtration barrier and enable the efficient ultrafiltration of blood to form tubular fluid . The structural integrity of podocytes is key for proper glomerular function, and podocyte injury underlies the progression of several renal pathologies . Additionally, podocytes interact with mesangial and glomerular endothelial cells through various paracrine mediators to maintain normal glomerular functions, and disruption in this cellular cross‐talk may contribute to DN …”

“…3 The structural integrity of podocytes is key for proper glomerular function, and podocyte injury underlies the progression of several renal pathologies. 4 Additionally, podocytes interact with mesangial and glomerular endothelial cells through various paracrine mediators to maintain normal glomerular functions, and disruption in this cellular cross-talk may contribute to DN. 5,6 The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is comprised mainly of 2 membrane receptors (CB 1 R and CB 2 R) and their 2 major endogenous ligands, N-arachidonoyl-ethanolamine (anandamide or AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol .…”

From tubular sublimate nephropathy via urinary concentrating mechanism to glomerular disease—Wilhelm Kriz’s contribution to modern nephrology

“…A broad array of experimental techniques from many disciplines was subsequently employed. Today, podocyte research has most obviously taken center stage in nephrology, with currently 1130 review articles on podocytes available on the net, and even the term podocytopathy is now sporadically in use in clinical cases and glomerular research when dealing with the diseased podocyte [1].…”

“…It became most helpful to understand the many identified proteins of the glomerular filter in their physiological meaning and pathological role when changes such as foot process effacement and resulting glomerulosclerosis, or loss of podocytes into the urine, were considered. Research on podocytes in Kriz's laboratory started with the work of Peter Mundel, who had been fighting hard for several years during his thesis to identify his Bcharacteristic 44 kD protein^asso-ciated with the actin cytoskeleton [1], which later was termed synaptopodin for its co-expression in podocyte foot processes and telencephalic dendrites [77], laying the cornerstone for subsequent attempts to combine kidney and brain research at a broader scale. With the tool of cultured podocytes made available in the laboratory by Mundel, functional studies in podocytes were facilitated [78,79].…”

“…Reversibility of the changes is explained thereby. Retrospectively, success and scientific advancement in the sector of podocyte research has been impressively mirrored by 11 international podocyte conferences held so far, with the last one organized by Suheir Assadi, Karl Skorecki, and Tobias Huber in Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel (April 2016) [1]; these high-ranking meetings have substantially profited from the ideas and incentive by Kriz and his group over time.…”