Cell junction proteins: Crossing the glomerular filtration barrier in diabetic nephropathy

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy as a deleterious complication of diabetes mellitus and an important cause of end-stage renal failure is characterized by changes in the molecular and cellular levels. Cell-cell communication via the gap and tight junctions are involved in the pathogenesis of diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure. Studying cell junctions including gap junctions, tight junctions, and anchoring junctions within the nephron can be used as an early sign of diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, cell junctions may be an upcoming target by pharmacological methods to improve treatments of diabetic nephropathy and pave the way to introduce promising therapeutic strategies based on cell-cell communications effects and its translation into clinical studies for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy; Gap junctions; Podocytes; Proteinuria; Slit diagrams; Tight junctions.