Nuclear receptors in renal health and disease

EBioMedicine. 2022 Feb:76:103855. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103855. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Abstract

As a major social and economic burden for the healthcare system, kidney diseases contribute to the constant increase of worldwide deaths. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the etiology, development and progression of kidney diseases may help to identify potential therapeutic targets. As a superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors, nuclear receptors (NRs) are critical for the maintenance of normal renal function and their dysfunction is associated with a variety of kidney diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that ligands for NRs protect patients from renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), diabetic nephropathy (DN), renal fibrosis and kidney cancers. In the past decade, some breakthroughs have been made for the translation of NR ligands into clinical use. This review summarizes the current understanding of several important NRs in renal physiology and pathophysiology and discusses recent findings and applications of NR ligands in the management of kidney diseases.

Keywords: FXR; Kidney; LXR; MR; PPAR.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury* / etiology
  • Acute Kidney Injury* / pathology
  • Diabetic Nephropathies* / pathology
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Kidney / physiology
  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / genetics
  • Reperfusion Injury* / pathology

Substances

  • Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear