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A suPAR circulating factor causes kidney disease

Nature Medicine volume 17, pages 926–927 (2011)Cite this article

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For many years, investigators have been searching for an elusive circulating factor that could cause the common kidney disease focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The finding that a circulating, soluble form of the urokinase receptor (suPAR) can activate podocyte β3 integrin, leading to FSGS pathology (pages 952–960), provides new insights into this disease and may have important clinical implications.

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Figure 1: suPAR is a circulating factor that causes FSGS.

Katie Vicari

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stuart J. Shankland is in the Division of Nephrology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,

    Stuart J Shankland

  2. Martin R. Pollak is in the Division of Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,

    Martin R Pollak

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  1. Stuart J Shankland
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  2. Martin R Pollak
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Correspondence to Stuart J Shankland or Martin R Pollak.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Shankland, S., Pollak, M. A suPAR circulating factor causes kidney disease. Nat Med 17, 926–927 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.2443

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