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Podocytes
are specialized cells of the kidney that form the blood filtration barrier
in the glomerulus. Mutations in intrinsic structural and regulatory genes cause changes
in podoctye structure, loss of fine processes leading to glomerular disease. Infiltrating leukocytes are major extrinsic causes of injury to glomerular function.
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Glomerular
diseases affect several million people in the US alone. They result
from intrinsic causes such as inherited defects in podocytes, basement membrane,
endothelial cells, as well as the mesangial cells that together comprise
the filtration unit of the kidney. Major extrinsic causes of injury are infiltrating leukocytes that accumulate in many inflammatory diseases of the kidney, causing progressive loss of kidney function.
The MGH Program
in Glomerular Disease is founded
with the mission:
- To advance our
understanding of the molecular mechanisms of urinary protein loss
and associated kidney diseases.
- To define
targets and master regulatory pathways leading to glomerular failure.
- To apply a
Systems approach to solving problems in glomerular disease.
- To
bridge the gap between scientific discovery and drug development.
- To
develop novel techniques for drug discovery and therapeutics.
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| News |
The
NEPHCURE Foundation is established to support
research seeking the cause of Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS,
improve
treatment and find the cure.
More >>
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| Recent
Publications |
Kramer-Zucker,
A.G., Wiessner, S., Jensen, A.M. and Drummond, I. 2005. Organization
of the pronephric filtration apparatus in zebrafish requires
Nephrin, Podocin and the FERM domain protein Mosaic eyes. Developmental
Biology, 285:316-29.
Sever S, Altintas MM, Nankoe SR, Möller CC, et al. 2007. Proteolytic processing of dynamin by cytoplasmic cathepsin L is a mechanism for proteinuric kidney disease. J Clin Invest. 2007 Aug;117(8):2095-104.
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