Signal transduction in podocytes—spotlight on receptor tyrosine kinases

Podocytes respond to hormones and growth factors that are present in the circulation or locally produced in the glomerulusA variety of receptors on the cell surface are thought to enable podocytes to respond to these external stimuliThe podocyte response to growth factors does not involve cell proliferation, but does include mitosis and hypertrophic cell growth, eventually leading to pathological alterationsGrowth factors signal via receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), which are promising targets for cancer therapyTo understand and interfere with the pathological effects of growth factors on podocytes and the glomerular filter, their precise receptors must be identified and characterizedRTK inhibitors that are already used in cancer therapy might be promising new treatment options for proteinuric kidney diseases