- Cancer drug aids in preventing diabetic kidney disease
- Blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with drug Erlotinib helps prevent diabetic nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a leading cause of kidney failure in the world can be prevented by blocking the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with the help of drug Erlotinib, reveals a new study.
Diabetic kidney disease or DN leads to loss of kidney function in patients with diabetes and eventually kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy in form of dialysis or kidney transplantation.
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Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been in the news because Stanley Cohen, Ph.D., shared the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1986 for this discovery.
EGFR protein can become active when phosphate molecules get attached at specific tyrosine sites in the protein. The phosphorylated tyrosines then become active docking sites for a variety of molecules that regulate cell proliferation, maturation, and cell death.
In a study published in the journal Diabetes, Harris, Ming-Zhi Zhang, MD, and colleagues have shown that by blocking the EGFR tyrosine kinase activity with the drug erlotinib, it is possible to slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease of nephropathy.
It also helps in decreasing insulin resistance and stops weight gain. Using this pathway of blocking EGFR may be an attractive method to treat this condition.
Facts and Statistics about Diabetic Nephropathy
Tips to Prevent Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetic nephropathy can be prevented by following few simple tips.
Source: Medindia
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