Antagonists of bone morphogenetic proteins in kidney disease

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are phylogenetically conserved signaling molecules that belong to the TGFbeta superfamily and are involved in the morphogenesis, as well as the pathogenesis, of several disorders. The function of BMPs is regulated by BMP antagonists that bind directly to the proteins, thus inhibiting binding to the relevant receptors. Pharmacological doses of BMP-7 have been demonstrated to repair established renal injury and, thus, BMP antagonists modulating endogenous BMP-7 activities may be possible therapeutic targets for kidney disease. In this review, recent findings on the BMP antagonists that modify the function of BMP-7 in kidney disease are summarized, and possible implications for therapeutic strategies are discussed.