Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been recognized as a major health challenge affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Despite advances in disease management, many patients continue to experience progressive loss of kidney function, which can ultimately lead to dialysis, transplantation, and increased risk of cardiovascular complications.
Current treatments primarily focus on slowing disease progression and managing associated complications, but options that directly address the underlying processes driving kidney damage remain limited.
Renal fibrosis is a central process underlying chronic kidney disease progression. Dysregulated cellular responses lead to excessive production and accumulation of extracellular matrix, causing progressive remodeling of kidney tissue and gradual decline in function.
Advances in functional genomics, proteomics, and biomarker discovery have improved our understanding of the molecular pathways involved in fibrosis and revealed new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. By targeting key mediators of renal fibrosis, emerging approaches aim to preserve kidney structure and function and slow disease progression.
