Implications of autophagy for glomerular aging and disease

Glomerular diseases lead to a progressive decline in renal function and account for the vast majority of end-stage kidney diseases. Injury and loss of glomerular podocytes are common determining factors of glomerular disease progression and renal failure. Podocytes are a primary glomerular target of toxic, immune, metabolic, and oxidant stress, but little is known of the factors that counteract cellular stress signaling pathways. This review focuses on recent findings that identify autophagy as a critical homeostatic and quality control mechanism maintaining glomerular homeostasis.