| Theme |
Genome medicine and novel therapeutic targets of kidney diseases |
| Title |
Exploring autophagy as a therapeutic strategy for kidney diseases |
| Author |
Yoshitsugu Takabatake |
Department of Nephrology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation system which functions to regulate intracellular homeostasis. It has been demonstrated that autophagic vacuoles are frequently observed in kidney proximal tubules. The essential roles of autophagy in maintaining the function of proximal tubular cells have been elucidated using proximal tubule-specific autophagy-deficient mice in both physiological and pathological settings. Pharmacological approaches to modulate autophagy are currently receiving considerable attention. For example, inducing or augmenting basal autophagic activity in certain cell types may be therapeutically beneficial in several pathological states including kidney diseases. Understanding autophagic activity in individual conditions will pave the way to novel treatments for kidney diseases. |