Human kidney podocyte cell population as a novel biological target of nerve growth factor

Human podocytes are highly specialized cells with a key role in kidney physiology. Alteration of their structure as a consequence of injury or developmental failure leads to severe renal diseases. Although several studies have tried to elucidate the molecular framework of this cellular system, the functional bases for the maintenance of podocytes in their specialized state to sustain kidney barrier filtration are not completely understood. In this study, the capability of podocytes to produce and secrete the nerve growth factor (NGF) has been demonstrated via a validated in vitro model. During the process of cell differentiation, NGF and its receptors are modulated in human podocytes just as NGF-responsive neurons. Blockade of NGF biological activity results in severe changes of cell morphology. Collectively, our results outline a novel function of the neurotrophin and add a new cellular target in the complex biological framework of NGF.