Abstract
Kidney disease is characterized by loss of glomerular function with clinical manifestation of proteinuria. Identifying the cellular and molecular changes that lead to loss of protein in the urine is challenging due to the complexity of the filtration barrier, constituted by podocytes, glomerular endothelial cells, and glomerular basement membrane. In this review, we will discuss how technologies like single cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatics-based spatial transcriptomics, as well as in vitro systems like kidney organoids and the glomerulus-on-a-chip, have contributed to our understanding of glomerular pathophysiology. Knowledge gained from these studies will contribute toward the development of personalized therapeutic approaches for patients affected by proteinuric diseases.
Highlights
Emerging Technologies to Study the Glomerular Filtration BarrierEmma Gong 1, Laura Perin 1,2, Stefano Da Sacco 1,2*† and Sargis Sedrakyan * 1,2 †
The kidney performs filtration function of removing waste products and maintaining fluid balance in the body
The filtration process occurs in the glomerulus, within the glomerular filtration barrier comprised of fenestrated glomerular endothelial cells, glomerular basement membrane [300–350 nm thick membrane containing type IV collagen, proteoglycans, laminin and nidogen [2]] and visceral epithelial cells [3]
Summary
Emma Gong 1, Laura Perin 1,2, Stefano Da Sacco 1,2*† and Sargis Sedrakyan * 1,2 †. Edited by: Ilse Sofia Daehn, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States. Sinai, United States Yelena Drexler, University of Miami Health System, United States. Specialty section: This article was submitted to Nephrology, a section of the journal
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