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Renal growth factors: past, present and future
F P Schena1, G F Strippoli, P Wankelmuth
1Department of Intensive Care and Transplantation, Division of Nephrology, University of Bari, Polyclinic, Bari, Italy.
American Journal of Nephrology
|April 24, 1999
Summary
Early research demonstrated that substances in the blood of nephrectomized dogs induce kidney hypertrophy. This finding paved the way for understanding renal growth factors and their role in kidney repair and disease.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cell Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Compensatory renal hypertrophy following uninephrectomy is mediated by growth factors.
- Early investigations in the late 19th century explored the mechanisms behind this phenomenon.
Observation:
- In 1896, C. Sacerdotti observed increased renal epithelial mitoses in dogs receiving blood transfusions from nephrectomized donors.
- These mitoses, indicative of hypertrophy, were more pronounced with repeated transfusions over several days.
Findings:
- Sacerdotti hypothesized that specific circulating substances in nephrectomized animals induced renal hypertrophy.
- Subsequent discoveries confirmed the existence of various renal growth factors (e.g., EGF, IGF-1, HGF, PDGF).
- These growth factors play a role in tubular recovery post-acute tubular necrosis and in remnant glomeruli after damage.
Implications:
- Current research investigates using growth factors to enhance renal function in acute tubular necrosis.
- Therapeutic strategies aim to block growth factor activity to mitigate chronic glomerulonephritis progression.
- Future advancements may involve gene therapy for targeted growth factor modulation in renal diseases.