Targeting KLF2 as a Novel Therapy for Glomerular Endothelial Cell Injury in Diabetic Kidney Disease

DKD is a microvascular disease, and glomerular endothelial cell injury is a key pathological event in DKD development. Through unbiased screening of glomerular transcriptomes, we previously identified KLF2 as a highly regulated gene in diabetic kidneys. KLF2 exhibits protective effects in endothelial cells by inhibiting inflammation, thrombotic activation, and angiogenesis, all of which are protective for cardiovascular disease. We previously demonstrated that endothelial cell-specific ablation of Klf2 exacerbated diabetes-induced glomerular endothelial cell injury and DKD in mice. Therefore in this study, we sought to assess the therapeutic potential of KLF2 activation in murine models of DKD.