Mechanisms of Renal Fibrosis

Abstract

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a chronic and progressive process affecting kidneys during aging and in chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of cause. CKD and renal fibrosis affect half of adults above age 70 and 10% of the world's population. Although no targeted therapy yet exists to slow renal fibrosis, a number of important recent advances have clarified the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. In this review, I highlight these advances with a focus on cells and pathways that may be amenable to therapeutic targeting. I discuss pathologic changes regulating interstitial myofibroblast activation, including profibrotic and proinflammatory paracrine signals secreted by epithelial cells after either acute or chronic injury. I conclude by highlighting novel therapeutic targets and approaches with particular promise for development of new treatments for patients with fibrotic kidney disease.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Annual Review of Physiology, 2017 · DOI ↗