Gremlins, glomeruli and diabetic nephropathy.

There have been major advances in our understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of diabetic nephropathy in recent years. Of particular interest is the emerging paradigm of the role that developmentally important genes may play in this process, representing recapitulation of the ontogenic process. This review examines the potential pathophysiological involvement of one such developmental gene gremlin in diabetic nephropathy.