The targeted podocyte
Agnes B. Fogo
Agnes B. Fogo
Published May 23, 2011
Citation Information: J Clin Invest. 2011;121(6):2142-2145. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI57935.
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Commentary

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

Agnes B. Fogo

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Figure 1

Glomerular parietal epithelial cells and the injury response.

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Glomerular parietal epithelial cells and the injury response. (A) The gl...
(A) The glomerular tuft is surrounded by Bowman’s capsule, which is lined by parietal epithelial cells. The highly specialized podocyte covers the glomerular capillary tuft and is key for maintaining glomerular structure and permeability barrier function. Podocytes have limited proliferative capacity. (B) After podocyte injury and detachment, parietal epithelial cells may migrate along Bowman’s capsule and transition to the tuft to areas of injury. Whether these parietal cells are reparative or ultimately promote sclerosis after injury remains unknown.