Diabetic nephropathy: from mechanisms to rational therapies.

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes. Specifically, it represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in type 1 and type 2 diabetic subjects and has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the Western world. Diabetic nephropathy appears to develop as a result of interactions between environmental insults and genetic susceptibility. Indeed, hyperglycemia is a clinical prerequisite for this complication, but it should be noted that only a subset of diabetic subjects will ultimately develop nephropathy. Over recent decades, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic nephropathy have been increasingly delineated. In particular, diabetic ..