Periostin in kidney diseases

Chronic kidney disease is an incurable to date pathology, with renal replacement therapy through dialysis or transplantation being the only available option for end-stage patients. A deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the progression of kidney diseases will permit the identification of unknown mediators and potential novel markers or targets of therapy which promise more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Over the last years, periostin was established by several studies as a novel key player in the progression of renal disease. Periostin is de novo expressed focally by the injured kidney cells during the development of renal disease. In diverse cohorts of renal disease patients, the expression levels of periostin in the kidney and urine were highly correlated with the stage of the pathology and the decline of renal function. Subsequent studies in animal models demonstrated that periostin is centrally involved in mediating renal inflammation and fibrosis, contributing to the deterioration of renal structure and function. Genetic or pharmaco-genetic inhibition of periostin in animal models of renal disease was efficient in arresting the progression of the pathology. This review will summarize the recent advances on periostin in the field of kidney diseases and will discuss its utility of as a novel target of therapy for chronic kidney disease.