Volume 14 Issue 7, July 2018

An unbiased functional gene knockout screen to identify genes implicated in Hedgehog signalling in primary cilia detected most components of the ciliary machinery and ciliopathy-associated genes, but no kidney-related ciliopathy genes. The 472 hits are a tremendous resource for identifying potential ciliopathy genes and for analysing ciliary function and signalling pathways.

Dysfunction of one or more organs is a common occurrence in patients with sepsis owing to microcirculatory alterations and cellular dysfunction. In this Review, the authors summarize knowledge of the mechanisms that underlie organ failure in sepsis and discuss how these insights are providing targets for the treatment of sepsis.

In this Review, the authors discuss the epidemiology, diagnosis and optimal management of resistant hypertension. They highlight the limitations of clinical trials of device-based therapies conducted to date and propose directions for future research.

Increasing evidence suggests an important role of the gut microbiota in the development of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. In this Review, the authors explain their brain–gut–kidney axis hypothesis for the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by the activation of intra-renal haemostatic and inflammatory processes. Here, the authors discuss the role of platelets as modulators of inflammation and haemostasis at the site of vascular injury, their interactions with endothelial cells and leukocytes and current antiplatelet strategies in AKI.