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Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: January 26, 2024
From Glomerular Endothelium to Podocyte Pathobiology in Preeclampsia: a Paradigm Shift
Rosanne J Turner1, Kitty W M Bloemenkamp, Marlies E Penning
1Department of Pathology, L1 Q, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, P0-107, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific syndrome characterized by renal dysfunction and high blood pressure. When evaluated with light microscopy, the renal lesion of preeclampsia is marked by endothelial cell swelling and the appearance of bloodless glomeruli. However, regarding the pathobiology of renal damage in preeclampsia, attention recently has shifted from the glomerular endothelial cells to the podocytes. The angiogenic imbalance in preeclampsia plays a key role in the development of both podocyte and endothelial damage in the glomerular filtration barrier. Here, we review the latest studies on the role of podocytes in the development of renal damage in preeclampsia and on podocytes as potential targets for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of long-term complications of preeclampsia.
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