Molecular, histological, and clinical phenotyping of diabetic nephropathy: valuable complementary information?

The incidence and prevalence of diabetic kidney disease is increasing. Observational and interventional studies suggest that the pathophysiology varies between individuals and within a patient over time. There is a huge clinical need to describe the molecular processes that modulate diabetic kidney disease. "Omics" experiments combined with bioinformatical analysis tools might allow for profiling of patients on an individual or at least group level to improve prediction of prognosis and guide targeted therapy.