title: Developmental signalling pathways in renal fibrosis: the roles of Notch, Wnt and Hedgehog.
abstract: Kidney fibrosis is a common histological manifestation of functional decline in the kidney. Fibrosis is a reactive process that develops in response to excessive epithelial injury and inflammation, leading to myofibroblast activation and an accumulation of extracellular matrix. Here, we describe how three key developmental signalling pathways - Notch, Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) - are reactivated in response to kidney injury and contribute to the fibrotic response. Although transient activation of these pathways is needed for repair of injured tissue, their sustained activation is thought to promote fibrosis. Excessive Wnt and Notch expression prohibit epithelial differentiation, whereas increased Wnt and Hh expression induce fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblastic transdifferentiation. Notch, Wnt and Hh are fundamentally different signalling pathways, but their choreographed activation seems to be just as important for fibrosis as it is for embryonic kidney development. Decreasing the activity of Notch, Wnt or Hh signalling could potentially provide a new therapeutic strategy to ameliorate the development of fibrosis in chronic kidney disease.
authors.affiliation: Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, 415 Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.|Department of Molecular Nephrology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 33, Münster 48149, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edeling
authors.affiliation: Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, 415 Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ragi
authors.affiliation: Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, 415 Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Shizheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Nephrology, Internal Medicine D, University Hospital Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 33, Münster 48149, Germany.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pavenstädt
authors.affiliation: Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Boulevard, 415 Clinical Research Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Susztak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D050199:Podocytes / Q000502:physiology; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000502:physiology*; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch