TWIST1 transcriptionally upregulates complement 3 in glomerular mesangial cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We have shown that complement 3 (C3) is upregulated in cardiovascular and renal organs, which induces the synthetic phenotype and exaggerates the growth of mesenchymal cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). However, the mechanisms of the upregulation of C3 have remained unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of TWIST1, a transcription factor that regulates mesodermal embryogenesis, in the upregulation of C3 in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) from SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.

Contribution of TGF-β1 and Effects of Gene Silencer Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamides Targeting TGF-β1 in Diabetic Nephropathy.

TGF-β1 has been known to induce diabetic nephropathy with renal fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis. DNA-recognized peptide compound pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamides as novel biomedicines can strongly bind promoter lesions of target genes to inhibit its transcription. We have developed PI polyamide targeting TGF-β1 for progressive renal diseases.

Preclinical Study of DNA-Recognized Peptide Compound Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide Targeting Human TGF-β1 Promoter for Progressive Renal Diseases in the Common Marmoset.

Pyrrole-imidazole (PI) polyamides are novel gene silencers that strongly bind the promoter region of target genes in a sequence-specific manner to inhibit gene transcription. We created a PI polyamide targeting human TGF-β1 (hTGF-β1). To develop this PI polyamide targeting hTGF-β1 (Polyamide) as a practical medicine for treating progressive renal diseases, we examined the effects of Polyamide in two common marmoset models of nephropathy.