Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), also known as diabetic nephropathy, is a type of kidney disease resulting from diabetes and is the most common cause of kidney failure. Not everyone with diabetes develop DKD. DKD affects approximately one third of people with type 2 diabetes. According to a paper reported in Cell Metabolism, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University worked together to find a way to prevent DKD development. This study presents a breakthrough that would have significant implications in the treatment of DKD. To date, treatments for DKD are limited. When caught early, DKD can be slowed with treatments; when caught late, the condition will get worse gradually. As kidney damage progresses, the kidneys can no longer remove the waste from the blood, which may lead to uremia and even death. The kidneys are remarkable organs inside which there are a large number of small blood vessels that act as filters. The main function of the kidneys is to remove waste products from the blood. If the filtering function is impaired, a lot of health problems would occur. In order to find new therapies for DKD, the research team studied a therapeutic approach that targets the transport of fatty acids, or lipids, from the blood into body tissues to treat DKD. Since a protein that influences lipid transport to tissues is increased in DKD patients, the research team evaluated the therapeutic effect of an antibody that targets this protein. The protein, called vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B), controls muscle lipid accumulation through regulation of endothelial fatty acid transport. Using a mouse model of DKD, the researchers revealed that renal VEGF-B expression correlates with the severity of disease. When the researchers used an antibody called 2H10 to block VEGF-B signaling in the experimental mice, they found that it reduced renal lipotoxicity, re-sensitized podocytes to insulin signaling, inhibited the development of DKD-associated pathologies, and prevented renal dysfunction. The antibody 2H10 was developed by a global, specialty biopharmaceutical company -- CSL Limited. The results suggested that VEGF-B antagonism is a potential way to treat DKD. Professor Ulf Eriksson, who led the study, noted that their findings may address an important area of unmet medical need. In the near future, the research team will tested the approach in human trials. In addition, Cusabio provides antibodies such as polyclonal antibody for the use of research.
