Volume 14 Issue 4, April 2018

The cellular origins of angiomyolipoma and other tuberous sclerosis complex-associated neoplasms are unknown. Now, two studies show that these neoplasms derive from cancer stem cells that originate from multipotent renal epithelial cells. The new findings provide a link between stemness and tumorigenesis in the kidney.

Acute kidney injury is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with multiple aetiologies, including sepsis, surgery, hypoperfusion and nephrotoxin exposure. Here, Kellum and Prowle discuss the different causes, phenotypes and pathogenic pathways of AKI and describe how consideration of such paradigms could be used to guide treatment.

Increasing evidence suggests that renin-expressing cells are involved in a range of physiological processes beyond their traditional role in blood pressure regulation. Here, the authors describe the role of these cells in nephrovascular development, regeneration, oxygen sensing, haematopoiesis and immune responses.

Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition produces complex diseases with heterogeneous phenotypes, making it difficult to identify the underlying mechanisms of immunoglobulin aggregation and deposition. In this Review, the authors discuss animal models of various human immunoglobulin deposition diseases, and each model's drawbacks and contributions to our understanding of these diseases.

Some animals have developed mechanisms to protect them from environmental stresses, whereas others remain susceptible. Here, Stenvinkel et al. discuss how a better understanding of susceptibility and protective mechanisms could provide insights to novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of several human diseases, such as chronic kidney disease and ageing-associated complications.