The Role of Y-Box Binding Protein 1 in Kidney Injury: Friend or Foe?

Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB-1) is a multifunctional protein involved in various cellular processes via the transcriptional and translational regulation of target gene expression. YB-1 promotes acute or chronic kidney injury through multiple molecular pathways; however, accumulating evidence suggests that significantly increased YB-1 levels are of great importance in renoprotection. In addition, YB-1 may contribute to obesity-related kidney disease by promoting adipogenesis. Thus, the role of YB-1 in kidney injury is complicated, and no comprehensive review is currently available. In this review, we summarise recent progress in our understanding of the function of YB-1 in kidney injury and provide an overview of the dual role of YB-1 in kidney disease. Moreover, we propose that YB-1 is a potential therapeutic target to restrict kidney disease.