Kidney articles from across Nature Portfolio

Alport syndrome has diverse genetic causes that are often hard to detect. Here, the authors use a layered sequencing strategy in a large Chinese cohort to uncover coding and noncoding variants, including novel structural types, refining the genetic diagnosis of inherited kidney disease.

This study identifies extensive lateral interdigitations in the kidney’s ascending thin limb and demonstrates that Claudin-10b regulates both epithelial architecture and urine-concentrating function in this distinct nephron segment.

Cells lining the kidney proximal tubule are densely packed with lysosomes, but little is known about their dynamic activity in situ. Here, the authors use intravital imaging and targeted probes to study lysosomal behavior along the kidney proximal tubule, and discover substantial axial heterogeneity in lysosomal dynamics, organellar interactions and metabolic functions.

Advances in artificial intelligence-driven algorithms and experimental technologies have revolutionized the field of protein modelling. This Review describes how these developments have provided unprecedented insights into the structure of key proteins within the kidney, improved understanding of the relationships between protein structure and stability, and enabled mechanistic interpretation of variants that underlie a variety of kidney pathologies.

Cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) syndrome reflects the intricate connections between metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. In 2025, key studies advanced understanding of risk prediction in CKM syndrome, including the role of social determinants of health, as well as combination treatment strategies and potential therapeutic targets to improve CKM health.

In this Tools of the Trade article, Liam McLaughlin (Jain lab) describes the development of an open-source Python tool that converts volumetric imaging data into quantifiable network graphs.