A central role for mesangial cells in the initiation of diabetic nephropathy

More than 35 years ago, it was postulated that mesangial cells represent a special form of microvascular pericytes that “not only occupy a central anatomical position in the glomerulus but may also deserve this role functionally.”1 Accumulating clinical and experimental evidence has since demonstrated the important functional properties of mesangial cells in kidney homeostasis, as they provide key structural support for glomerular capillary loops, regulate capillary flow, and play an essential role in mediating glomerular crosstalk.