title: The targeted podocyte.
abstract: The podocyte plays a key role both in maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier and in glomerular structural integrity. Podocyte injury and loss contribute to proteinuria and progressive sclerosis. Inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) have variably decreased or caused proteinuria and sclerosis in human disease and experimental settings. In this issue of the JCI, two interesting studies of podocyte-specific manipulation of the mTOR system shed light on the complexity of this pathway in the podocyte.
authors: Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA. agnes.fogo@vanderbilt.edu
authors: Agnes B
authors: AB
authors: Fogo
references: J Clin Invest. 2011 Jun;121(6):2197-209
references: 21606591
references: Kidney Int. 2007 Jun;71(12):1232-9
references: 17457378
references: Kidney Int. 2011 Mar;79(5):502-11
references: 21085109
references: J Clin Invest. 2011 Jun;121(6):2181-96
references: 21606597
references: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2009 May;18(3):206-11
references: 19374006
references: Am J Kidney Dis. 2009 Oct;54(4):653-64
references: 19615802
references: Kidney Int. 1991 Aug;40(2):195-202
references: 1942767
references: J Pathol. 2006 Nov;210(3):263-72
references: 16924588
references: Nat Clin Pract Nephrol. 2006 Jun;2(6):290-1
references: 16932443
references: Kidney Int. 2009 Dec;76(12):1225-38
references: 19847153
references: Science. 2010 Aug 13;329(5993):841-5
references: 20647424
references: J Nephrol. 2007 Sep-Oct;20(5):518-24
references: 17918136
references: Kidney Int. 2010 Sep;78(5):514-22
references: 20531454
references: Med Pediatr Oncol. 1996 May;26(5):325-8
references: 8614365
references: N Engl J Med. 1998 Jul 9;339(2):69-75
references: 9654536
references: Nat Med. 2008 Sep;14(9):931-8
references: 18724379
references: Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2011 Mar;300(3):F792-800
references: 21177778
references: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2011 May;20(3):278-84
references: 21422926
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2010 Sep;21(9):1436-9
references: 20705707