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Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and amplified family caregiving obligations for many clinical investigators and other biomedical researchers. Unpredictable access to daycare, schools, assisted living facilities, informal networks, and [...]

Introduction Physician-scientists are critical members of the biomedical workforce. The combination of rigorous scientific training and clinical skills uniquely positions them to bridge clinical needs with investigational pursuits by identifying [...]

Introduction In the first half of the 20th century, while the value of translating scientific discovery to clinical care was clearly established, the pace of innovation was resulting in increased [...]

The specialized epithelial cell of the kidney, the podocyte, has a complex actinbased cytoskeleton. Dynamic regulation of this cytoskeleton is required for efficient barrier function of the kidney. Podocytes are a useful cell type to study the control of the actin cytoskeleton in vivo, because disruption of components of the cytoskeleton results in podocyte damage, cell loss, and a prototypic injury response called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Searching for actin regulatory proteins that are expressed in podocytes, we identified a RhoA-activated Rac1 GTPase-activating protein (Rac1-GAP), Arhgap24, that was upregulated in podocytes as they differentiated, both in vitro and in vivo. Increased levels of active Rac1 and Cdc42 were measured in Arhgap24 knockdown experiments, which influenced podocyte cell shape and membrane dynamics. Consistent with a role for Arhgap24 in normal podocyte functioning in vivo, sequencing of the ARHGAP24 gene in patients with FSGS identified a mutation that impaired its Rac1-GAP activity and was associated with disease in a family with FSGS. Thus, Arhgap24 contributes to the careful balancing of RhoA and Rac1 signaling in podocytes, the disruption of which may lead to kidney disease., Introduction The kidneys filter plasma and reabsorb solutes and nutrients to maintain the appropriate extracellular environment. The proximal component of the nephron, the glomerulus, is the primary filtration barrier that [...]

Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is a frequent cause of end-stage renal failure. Identification of single-gene causes of SRNS has generated some insights into its pathogenesis; however, additional genes and disease [...]