title: "Physiological" renal regenerating medicine in VLBW preterm infants: could a dream come true?
abstract: An emerging hypothesis from the recent literature explain how specific adverse factors related with growth retardation as well as of low birth weight (LBW) might influence renal development during fetal life and then the insurgence of hypertension and renal disease in adulthood. In this article, after introducing a brief overview of human nephrogenesis, the most important factors influencing nephron number at birth will be reviewed, focusing on the "in utero" experiences that lead to an increased risk of developing hypertension and/or kidney disease in adult. Since nephrogenesis in preterm human newborns does not stop at birth, but it continues for 4-6 weeks postnatally, a better knowledge of the mechanisms able to accelerate nephrogenesis in the perinatal period, could represent a powerful tool in the hands of neonatologists. We suggest to define this approach to a possible therapy of a deficient nephrogenesis at birth "physiological renal regenerating medicine". Our goal in preterm infants, especially VLBW, could be to prolong the nephrogenesis not only for 6 weeks after birth but until 36 weeks of post conceptual age, allowing newborn kidneys to restore their nephron endowment, escaping susceptibility to hypertension and to renal disease later in life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. fandan73@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fanni
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerosa
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nemolato
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mocci
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pichiri
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coni
authors.forename: Terenzio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Congiu
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piludu
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraschini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaffanello
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iacovidou
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Eyken
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monga
authors.forename: Gavino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faa
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fanos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000196:embryology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009399:Nephrons / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure