Targeting inflammation to treat diabetic kidney disease: the road to 2030

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, with inflammation playing a key role in its pathogenesis.
• Preclinical studies highlighted inflammation's contribution to DKD, prompting anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies.
• Recent advancements in DKD treatment, including SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone, have shifted the standard of care, impacting older anti-inflammatory drug development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of current and emerging DKD therapies on kidney inflammation.
• To explore recent molecular mechanisms regulating inflammation in DKD.
• To discuss novel therapeutic strategies and future research directions for DKD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of preclinical and clinical studies on DKD and inflammation.
• Analysis of current standard-of-care treatments and investigational therapies for DKD.
• Synthesis of recent findings on molecular regulation of kidney inflammation in DKD.

Main Results:

• Current standard-of-care therapies for DKD influence kidney inflammation.
• Several novel and repositioned drugs are under investigation for their anti-inflammatory effects in DKD.
• Advances in understanding DKD's molecular inflammatory pathways offer new therapeutic targets.

Conclusions:

• Understanding inflammation's role is crucial for managing DKD, even with new treatments.
• Future research should focus on integrating inflammatory insights into clinical practice for improved DKD patient outcomes.
• Novel therapeutic strategies targeting kidney inflammation hold promise for DKD management.