An international team of scientists has found a way to regenerate the kidneys damaged by the disease, restoring the function and preventing renal failure.The discovery could drastically improve treatments for complications derived from diabetes and other diseases.
Diabetes causes many problems in the body, but one of the most frequent is kidney disease.Prolonged periods of high blood sugar levels can damage nephrons, tiny kidney filtration units, which can cause renal dysfunction and, finally, a failure.
For the new study, researchers in Singapore and Germany investigated a possible culprit: a protein known as Interleucin-11 (IL-11), which has been involved in causing scars in other organs in response to the damage.
In a closer inspection of tests in mice, the team discovered that as the kidneys suffer damage, cells that cover their tiny internal tubes release IL-11, which slows cell growth and triggers a molecular waterfall of inflammation and healing.But when IL-11 is blocked, either using genetically modified mice to lack it or giving them an antibody that blocks it, this process is prevented and healthy cells can regenerate to reverse the existing damage.
Professor Stuart Cook, corresponding author of the study said:
"We discover that IL-11 is harmful to renal function and triggers the development of chronic renal disease."
"We also demonstrate that anti-il11 therapy can treat renal failure, reverse the established chronic renal disease and restore renal function by promoting regeneration in mice, while it is safe for long-term use."
The team followed the discovery in human kidney cells in laboratory plates and observed similar results.The researchers administered an IL-11 antibody to cells with diabetic renal disease and discovered that renal tubule cells could proliferate again, which reversed healing and inflammation and finally restored the function of the organ.
As promising for the results, it is important to remember that this research is still in the early stages, and it is possible that the results do not easily move to humans.Even so, it is a new intriguing objective for scientists by developing treatments.
