This book systemically presents the latest research on renal fibrosis, covering all the major topics in the field, including the possible mechanisms, biomarkers, and strategies for prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Due to its high prevalence, CKD represents a huge global economic and social burden. Irrespective of the initial causes, CKD progresses to end stage kidney disease (ESKD) due to renal fibrosis, which is characterized by glomerulosclerosis, tubule atrophy and atresia, and the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the kidney. Unfortunately, an estimated 1%-2% of the adult population living with CKD will need renal replacement therapy at some point as a result of ESKD. As such, strategies for preventing or slowing CKD progression to ESKD are of utmost importance, and studies aiming to understand the mechanisms of renal fibrosis have been the focus of intensive research. Recently, novel insights into the pathophysiological processes have furthered our understanding of the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, and more importantly, promoted studies on the early diagnosis and treatment of CKD. This book draws lessons from the extensive, state-of-the-art research in this field, elaborating the new theories and new techniques to offer readers a detailed and comprehensive understanding of renal fibrosis and as well as inspiration for future research directions.

In most tissues, cells are surrounded by an extracellular matrix (ECM) containing proteins such as collagen, laminin, and fibronectin. The ECM plays an important role in regulating cell function. ECM proteins bind to integrins and other cell surface receptors, activating signaling pathways that regulate cellular morphology, adhesion, cell migration, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology covers all aspects of ECM composition and function, as well as alterations in the ECM that occur during development, tumorigenesis, and other disease states. The contributors examine the various ECM proteins and proteoglycans, ECM receptors such as integrins, and the signaling pathways that mediate the effects of the ECM on cells. They also describe ECM functions in specific biological contexts, including angiogenesis, hemostasis, and thrombosis. Covering not only the biochemistry and cell biology of the ECM but also its roles in development, physiology, and pathology, this volume is an indispensable reference for cell biologists and all those interested in exploring the myriad functions of the ECM.

This contributed volume is the first of a series that introduces safe, feasible, and practical decellularization and recellularization techniques for tissue and organ reconstruction. We have put special emphasis on the research areas most likely to develop well-engineered scaffolds for tissue and organ engineering, while presenting easily applicable bench-to-bedside approaches highlighting the latest technical innovations in the field. This book includes both a fundamental discussion for a broad understanding of the basis of tissue repair and substitution, as well as chapters written by world renowned specialists from 20 countries providing deeper discussions and analysis of related sub disciplines. Within these pages, the reader will find state-of-the-art protocols and current clinical challenges in cell and tissue biology, including accurate and comprehensive information on extracellular matrices, natural biomaterials, tissue dynamics, morphogenesis, stem cells, cellular fate progressions, cell and tissue properties for in-vitro and in-vivo applications. This comprehensive and carefully organized treatise provides a clear framework for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers new to the field, but also for researchers and practitioners looking to expand their knowledge on tissue and organ reconstruction.

This publication provides a synopsis of the rapid progress made in the field of renal cell biology during the last decade, progress which has resulted in a better conceptual understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrotic renal disease. These developments have provided new therapeutic choices and led to the discovery of gene-based therapeutic options. The topics covered in this book have been carefully selected from the immense number of aspects of the disease to provide essential information on the molecular basis of renal fibrosis. Individual chapters discuss topics such as proteinuria and tubulointerstitial injury, the roles and regulation of TGF-beta, chemokines, oxidant stress, matrix remodeling, significance of renal expression of NF-kappa, and the potential impact of cell death in renal fibrosis.Written so as to present the complex information as simply as possible, this publication will be a very useful tool for general health professionals involved in the fields of immunology and cell biology, as well as for clinicians and researchers within the fields of nephrology, pathology and matrix biology.

During the last few years, interest in research on the progression of chronic renal diseases has grown to the extent that this field is now in the mainstream of investigative nephrology. This interdisciplinary volume brings together the latest data from institutes at the forefront of current research. The contents cover a diverse range of topics including apoptosis in renal modeling and remodeling, the role of cytokines, growth factors and macrophages, the metabolism of interstitial collagen and collagenous materials, diabetic nephropathy, and vasoactive substances in renal injury. The use of methodology from morphometry to DNA recombinant technology illustrates the wide range of experimental approaches being adopted. Stimulating and up-to-date, this book is essential reading for nephrologists, biochemists, molecular biologists and all investigators interested in the mechanisms of renal disease progression.

This comprehensive book contains the latest information on diverse biological functions of relaxin and related peptide found since the recent discovery of relaxin receptors. It also describes the evolution of relaxin family peptides and their receptors, molecular mechanisms of ligand/receptor interaction and the analysis of activated signaling pathways.

This book describes analysis techniques and results of topics such as physical backgrounds, chemical backgrounds, and principal methods of topo-optical reactions used in ultrastructure research of the ECM; orientation patterns of GAGs and collagen in different tissues/cartilage, cornea, kidney basement membranes, and skin; factors involved in the formation of submicroscopically ordered matrix structure; and cell-matrix interactions, including cytoskeleton-cell-membrane-matrix relationships. A summarization of the advantages and limitations of polarization microscopy compared to electron microscopy in ultracellular research is also included. Cell biologists, histologists, pathologists, and biochemists in connective tissue research will find this book to be an invaluable reference tool.

Structure and Function of the Extracellular Matrix: A Multiscale Quantitative Approach introduces biomechanics and biophysics with applications to understand the biological function of the extracellular matrix in health and disease. A general multiscale approach is followed by investigating behavior from the scale of single molecules, through fibrils and fibers, to tissues of various organ systems. Through mathematical models and structural information, quantitative description of the extracellular matrix function is derived with tissue specific details. The book introduces the properties and organization of extracellular matrix components and quantitative models of the matrix, and guides the reader through predicting functional properties. This book integrates evolutionary biology with multiscale structure to quantitatively understand the function of the extracellular matrix. This approach allows a fresh look into normal functioning as well as the pathological alterations of the extracellular matrix. Professor Suki's book is written to be useful to undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers interested in the quantitative aspects of the extracellular matrix. Researchers working in mechanotransduction, respiratory and cardiovascular mechanics, and multiscale biomechanics of tendon, cartilage, skin, and bone may also be interested in this book. - Examines the evolutionary origins and consequences of the extracellular matrix - Delivers the first book to quantitatively treat the extracellular matrix as a multiscale system - Presents problems and a set of computational laboratory projects in various chapters to aid teaching and learning - Provides an introduction to the properties and organization of the extracellular matrix components