Anglani Franca, Ceol Monica, Mezzabotta Federica, Torregrossa Rossella, Tiralongo Emilia, Tosetto Enrica, Del Prete Dorella, D'Angelo Angela
Kidney Histomorphology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy.
Front Biosci. 2008 May 1;13:6395-405. doi: 10.2741/3161.
The adult mammalian renal tubular epithelium exists in a relatively quiescent to slowly replicating state, but has great potential for regenerative morphogenesis following severe ischemic or toxic injury. Kidney regeneration and repair occur through three cellular and molecular mechanisms: differentiation of the somatic stem cells, recruitment of circulating stem cells and, more importantly, proliferation/dedifferentiation of mature cells. Dedifferentiation seems to represent a critical step for the recovery of tubular integrity. Dedifferentiation of tubular cells after injury is characterized by the reactivation of a mesenchymal program that is active during nephrogenesis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal tubular cells is an extreme manifestation of epithelial cell plasticity. It is now widely recognized as a fundamental process that marks some physiological, such as morphogenesis, as well as pathological events, such as oncogenesis and fibrogenesis. It might be also considered as a key event in the regenerative process of the kidney. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in EMT might be useful for designing therapeutic strategies in order to potentiate the innate capacity of the kidney to regenerate.
成年哺乳动物的肾小管上皮细胞处于相对静止至缓慢复制的状态，但在遭受严重缺血或毒性损伤后具有强大的再生形态发生潜力。肾脏的再生和修复通过三种细胞和分子机制进行：体细胞干细胞的分化、循环干细胞的募集，更重要的是成熟细胞的增殖/去分化。去分化似乎是肾小管完整性恢复的关键步骤。损伤后肾小管细胞的去分化特征在于重新激活在肾发生过程中活跃的间充质程序。肾小管上皮细胞向间充质细胞转化（EMT）是上皮细胞可塑性的一种极端表现。现在它被广泛认为是一个基本过程，标志着一些生理事件，如形态发生，以及病理事件，如肿瘤发生和纤维化。它也可能被视为肾脏再生过程中的关键事件。了解EMT所涉及的分子机制可能有助于设计治疗策略，以增强肾脏的固有再生能力。
