A new study finds that inhibition of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) during focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) augments the ability of cells of renin lineage (CoRL) to proliferate and differentiate into podocytes. Stuart Shankland et al. permanently labelled CoRL in mice and then experimentally induced FSGS. RAAS inhibition with an angiotensin-receptor blocker resulted in increased CoRLs in the juxtaglomerular compartment, which migrated to the intraglomerular compartment and trans-differentiated into cells with phenotypes consistent with podocytes.