Epigenetic, Molecular and Programming Mechanisms of Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology

Abstract

Significant advances have been made to understand the underlying mechanisms of renal dysfunction in recent years. However, kidney disease still remains to be highly prevalent, primarily when associated with other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Thus, it is essential to deepen the knowledge about the molecular and pathophysiological alterations that occur with the worsening of this disorder, envisioning the adoption of strategies to at least delay its progression. In this Research Topic, a Research Topic of related articles were published that provide most recent evidence in this intriguing area.

The role that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play in the pathophysiological processes associated with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) are presented by Yang et al.. In this revision, the authors showed a complete and up-to-date overview of the role of lncRNAs in AKI and a systematic review of the role of lncRNAs in AKI resulting from different etiologies. Finally, the potential use of lncRNAs as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of patients with AKI is highlighted. Additionally, it is suggested that few lncRNAs, due to their involvement in various regulatory mechanisms associated with kidney injury may represent potential therapeutic targets for AKI.