Mesangial Cell Proliferation in Renal Disease
Summary
Mesangial cells reside within the central stalk of the glomerulus, providing structural support, regulating capillary flow and contributing to the filtration barrier. Under physiological conditions, these pericyte-like cells maintain homeostasis through controlled cycles of proliferation, contraction and extracellular matrix turnover. In renal disease, however, persistent mesangial cell growth disrupts glomerular architecture, leads to matrix expansion and drives progression to glomerulosclerosis. Key triggers include immune complexes, complement activation, high glucose concentrations and proinflammatory cytokines converging on intracellular cascades such as mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathways. This aberrant proliferation underlies mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy and lupus nephritis, with direct impact on renal function, proteinuria and chronic kidney disease worldwide. Targeting the molecular regulators of mesangial proliferation offers potential to arrest or even reverse fibrotic processes, emphasising its global health significance and therapeutic promise.
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Mesangial Cell Proliferation in Renal Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mesangial cell proliferation in renal disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Mesangial cell: A specialised pericyte-like cell in the glomerulus that supports capillary loops and regulates filtration.
Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis: A form of kidney inflammation characterised by excessive proliferation of mesangial cells and matrix deposition.
Complement C5b-9: The terminal membrane attack complex of the complement cascade that can trigger cell activation or lysis.
ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK: Mitogen-activated protein kinases that mediate cellular responses to growth factors and stress signals.
STAT3: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, a transcription factor activated by cytokines and growth factors.
References
- Sublytic C5b-9 induces glomerular mesangial cell proliferation via ERK1/2-dependent SOX9 phosphorylation and acetylation by enhancing Cyclin D1 in rat Thy-1 nephritis. Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2021).
- Ntrk1 promotes mesangial cell proliferation and inflammation in rat glomerulonephritis model by activating the STAT3 and p38/ERK MAPK signaling pathways. BMC Nephrology (2022).
- Role of Chemokine (C–X–C Motif) Ligand 10 (CXCL10) in Renal Diseases. Mediators of Inflammation (2020).
About these summaries
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