Rapamycin and chronic kidney disease: beyond the inhibition of inflammation.
Rapamycin, a potent inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein kinase, is a well-known immunosuppressive agent. In this issue, Wu and colleagues report that rapamycin significantly attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis in obstructive nephropathy. Besides its inhibition of renal inflammation, rapamycin is able to block tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition, thereby shedding new light on the mechanism of its antifibrotic actions.
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Division of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA. liuy@upmc.edu
D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D009393:Nephritis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D020123:Sirolimus