Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7): a critical role in kidney development and a putative modulator of kidney injury.

Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), a member of the tumor growth factor beta superfamily, appears to have a role in both kidney development and response to kidney injury. Signals through its pathways permit both epithelial differentiation during embryogenesis and preservation of normal kidney architecture after stress, leading to the hypothesis that BMP7 may exert its kidney-protective effects in adult animals by preventing or reversing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation. This review attempts to synthesize the data supporting those conclusions and suggest some future areas of research.