← brief for 2026-09-11 · Slowing decline

Dapagliflozin inhibits renal mesangial cell fibrosis by regulating HO-1/TGF-β1/Smad 2/3 axis.

Key takeaways

This lab study tested dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor already used in kidney disease, on kidney cells to work out how it reduces scarring. Scarring is the stiff tissue that builds up and gradually destroys filtering units. The researchers traced the effect to a specific chemical signaling chain inside the cell. This was done in cells, not in people, so it explains a possible mechanism behind a drug that already has human evidence.

Who did this work

Yuan XY (School of Pharmacy, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437000, P.R. China; Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.) · Song Y (School of Pharmacy, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437000, P.R. China.) · Zhang JJ (School of Pharmacy, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437000, P.R. China.) · Ni P (School of Pharmacy, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437000, P.R. China.) · Zhao BQ (School of Pharmacy, Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning 437000, P.R. China. Electronic address: [email protected].)

Source

Paper · Europe PMC, CKD · 2026-09-10
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2026.179330