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Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Use of Enzymatic Biosensors to Quantify Endogenous ATP or H2O2 in the Kidney
Published on: October 12, 2015
D-Serine as a sensor and effector of the kidney
Tomonori Kimura1,2,3, Shinsuke Sakai4,5,6, Yoshitaka Isaka7
1Reverse Translational Research Project, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Saito-Asagi 7-6-8, Ibaraki, Osaka, 5670085, Japan. t-kimura@kid.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Abstract:
D-Serine, a rare enantiomer of serine, is a biomarker of kidney disease and function. The level of D-serine in the human body is precisely regulated through the urinary clearance of the kidney, and its clearance serves as a new measure of glomerular filtration rate with a lower bias than creatinine clearance. D-Serine also has a direct effect on the kidneys and mediates the cellular proliferation of tubular cells via mTOR signaling and induces kidney remodeling as a compensatory reaction to the loss of kidney mass. In living kidney donors, the removal of the kidney results in an increase in blood D-serine level, which in turn accelerates kidney remodeling and augments kidney clearance, thus reducing blood levels of D-serine. This feedback system strictly controls D-serine levels in the body. The function of D-serine as a biomarker and modulator of kidney function will be the basis of precision medicine for kidney diseases.
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