Isthmin-1 is a novel mediator of experimental glomerulonephritis through a pro-apoptotic action in podocytes

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a leading cause of end stage renal disease and remains without specific treatment. To identify novel actors involved in the progression of FSGS, we used an experimental model of nephroangiosclerosis with FSGS in rats and performed a differential transcriptomic analysis. Among the genes that were several-fold upregulated in glomeruli, was Isthmin-1 (ISM), an ‘unknown’ to the kidney gene. The objective of the present study was to find if and what role plays ISM to renal pathophysiology.