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Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Isolation of Primary Human Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells and Their Use in Creating a Microphysiological Model of the Renal Proximal Tubule
Published on: May 9, 2025
Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis in the Proximal Tubule
Megan L Eshbach1, Ora A Weisz1
1Renal-Electrolyte Division, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261; email: mle24@pitt.edu , weisz@pitt.edu.
Abstract:
Cells lining the proximal tubule (PT) of the kidney are highly specialized for apical endocytosis of filtered proteins and small bioactive molecules from the glomerular ultrafiltrate to maintain essentially protein-free urine. Compromise of this pathway results in low molecular weight (LMW) proteinuria that can progress to end-stage kidney disease. This review describes our current understanding of the endocytic pathway and the multiligand receptors that mediate LMW protein uptake in PT cells, how these are regulated in response to physiologic cues, and the molecular basis of inherited diseases characterized by LMW proteinuria.
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