Novel therapies for diabetic kidney disease

The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic kidney disease

Diabetes mellitus (DM) often causes chronic kidney damage despite best medical practices. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) arises from a complex interaction of factors within the kidney and the whole body. Targeting specific disease-causing agents using drugs has not been effective in treating DKD. However, stem cell therapies offer a promising alternative by addressing multiple disease pathways and promoting kidney regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer great promise due to their superior accessibility ratio from adult tissues and remarkable modes of action, such as the production of paracrine anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective substances. This review critically evaluates the development of MSC treatment for DKD as it moves closer to clinical application. Results from animal models suggest that systemic MSC infusion may positively impact DKD progression. However, few registered and completed clinical trials exist, and whether the treatments are effective in humans is still being determined. Significant knowledge gaps and research opportunities exist, including establishing the ideal source, dose, and timing of MSC delivery, better understanding of in vivo mechanisms, and developing quantitative indicators to obtain a more significant therapeutic response. This paper reviews recent literature on using MSCs in preclinical and clinical trials in DKD. Potent biomarkers related to DKD are also highlighted, which may help better understand MSCs' action in this disease progression. KEY MESSAGES: Mesenchymal stem cells have anti-inflammatory and paracrine effects in diabetic kidney disease. Mesenchymal stem cells alleviate in animal models having diabetic kidney disease. Mesenchymal stem cells possess promise for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

The therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic kidney disease

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) often causes chronic kidney damage despite best medical practices. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) arises from a complex interaction of factors within the kidney and the whole body. Targeting specific disease-causing agents using drugs has not been effective in treating DKD. However, stem cell therapies offer a promising alternative by addressing multiple disease pathways and promoting kidney regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer great promise due to their superior accessibility ratio from adult tissues and remarkable modes of action, such as the production of paracrine anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective substances. This review critically evaluates the development of MSC treatment for DKD as it moves closer to clinical application. Results from animal models suggest that systemic MSC infusion may positively impact DKD progression. However, few registered and completed clinical trials exist, and whether the treatments are effective in humans is still being determined. Significant knowledge gaps and research opportunities exist, including establishing the ideal source, dose, and timing of MSC delivery, better understanding of in vivo mechanisms, and developing quantitative indicators to obtain a more significant therapeutic response. This paper reviews recent literature on using MSCs in preclinical and clinical trials in DKD. Potent biomarkers related to DKD are also highlighted, which may help better understand MSCs’ action in this disease progression.

Key messages

LncRNA as a regulator in the development of diabetic complications

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia, which induces the production of AGEs, ROS, inflammatory cytokines, and growth factors, leading to the formation of vascular dysfunction and target organ damage, promoting the development of diabetic complications. Diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiomyopathy are common complications of diabetes, which are major contributors to disability and death in people with diabetes. Long non-coding RNAs affect gene transcription, mRNA stability, and translation efficiency to influence gene expression for a variety of biological functions. Over the past decade, it has been demonstrated that dysregulated long non-coding RNAs are extensively engaged in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including diabetic complications. Thus, this review discusses the regulations of long non-coding RNAs on the primary pathogenesis of diabetic complications (oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, and microvascular dysfunction), and some of these long non-coding RNAs may function as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for diabetic complications.

Nephroprotective Properties of Antidiabetic Drugs

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially from cardiovascular (CV) causes, and especially in people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Already the presence of DM increases CV risk and potentiates the risk of CKD. Therefore, besides glycemic control, prevention and treatment of CKD to slow its progression are of clinical importance. A significant nephroprotective effect of novel antidiabetic drugs, namely sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA), has been shown on top of their glucose-lowering effects and was confirmed in cardiovascular outcome trials. GLP1-RA mainly reduced the risk of macroalbuminuria, whereas SGLT2-I were also associated with a lower risk of declining glomerular filtration rate (GFR) over time. The nephroprotective effects of SGLT2-I are also evident in people without DM. According to current guidelines, SGLT2-I and/or GLP1-RA are recommended for people with DM who have chronic kidney disease and/or increased cardiovascular risk. However, other antidiabetic drugs offer nephroprotective properties, which will also be discussed in this review.

Chronic Kidney Disease Management in the Middle East and Africa: Concerns, Challenges, and Novel Approaches

The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other comorbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes, which increase the risk of developing CKD, is on the rise in the Middle East and Africa. The Middle East and Africa CKD (MEA-CKD) steering committee, comprising eminent healthcare specialists from the Middle East and Africa, was formed to identify and propose steps to address the gaps in the management of CKD in these regions. The current article lists the MEA-CKD steering committee meeting outcomes and evaluates the available evidence supporting the role of novel therapeutic options for patients with CKD. The need of the hour is to address the gaps in awareness and screening, early diagnosis, along with referral and management of patients at risk. Measures to bring about appropriate changes in healthcare policies to ensure access to all benefit-proven protective therapies, including novel ones, at community levels are also vital for reducing the overall burden of CKD on the healthcare system as well as governing bodies, especially in developing countries of the Middle East and Africa.

Molecular programs associated with glomerular hyperfiltration in early diabetic kidney disease

Hyperfiltration is a state of high glomerular filtration rate (GFR) observed in early diabetes that damages glomeruli, resulting in an iterative process of increasing filtration load on fewer and fewer remaining functional glomeruli. To delineate underlying cellular mechanisms of damage associated with hyperfiltration, transcriptional profiles of kidney biopsies from Pima Indians with type 2 diabetes with or without early-stage diabetic kidney disease were grouped into two hyperfiltration categories based on annual iothalamate GFR measurements. Twenty-six participants with a peak GFR measurement within two years of biopsy were categorized as the hyperfiltration group, and 26 in whom biopsy preceded peak GFR by over two years were considered pre-hyperfiltration. The hyperfiltration group had higher hemoglobin A1c, higher urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, increased glomerular basement membrane width and lower podocyte density compared to the pre-hyperfiltration group. A glomerular 1240-gene transcriptional signature identified in the hyperfiltration group was enriched for endothelial stress response signaling genes, including endothelin-1, tec-kinase and transforming growth factor-β1 pathways, with the majority of the transcripts mapped to endothelial and inflammatory cell clusters in kidney single cell transcriptional data. Thus, our analysis reveals molecular pathomechanisms associated with hyperfiltration in early diabetic kidney disease involving putative ligand-receptor pairs with downstream intracellular targets linked to cellular crosstalk between endothelial and mesangial cells.

Kidney outcomes associated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors versus glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists: A real-world population-based analysis

BACKGROUND

Kidney benefits have been demonstrated for both sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) compared with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to compare the impacts of SGLT2i and GLP1RA on the trend of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and other kidney outcomes.

METHODS

Using a real-world population-based database, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) database, of patients with type 2 diabetes between January 2008 and December 2020, patients started on SGLT2i were compared with those started on GLP1RA, with one-to-one propensity-score matching. Primary outcome was a composite of sustained ≥50% eGFR decline, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), incident macroalbuminuria and kidney-related mortality. Secondary outcome was the rate of eGFR decline.

FINDINGS

A total of 2551 SGLT2i and 2551 GLP1RA new users were analyzed. At baseline, mean age was 56·2 years, with mean eGFR 78·0 mL/min/1·73m² and 11·9% having macroalbuminuria. Upon median follow-up of 13 months (IQR: 5-27), SGLT2i users had a lower risk of composite kidney outcomes (HR=0·77, 95%CI 0·62-0·96, p = 0·02), mainly driven by a reduction in ESKD (HR=0·53, p = 0·01). SGLT2i users also tended to have a lower risk of incident macroalbuminuria (HR=0·74, p = 0·05). Subgroup analyses of the benefits of SGLT2i use on composite kidney outcomes did not reveal interaction by age, sex, baseline eGFR/albuminuria status, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and renin-angiotensin-system inhibitor use. Furthermore, SGLT2i users had a slower eGFR decline than GLP1RA users (SGLT2i: -1·19 mL/min/1·73m²/year, GLP1RA: -1·95 mL/min/1·73m²/year, p < 0·01).

INTERPRETATION

Our results suggest that SGLT2i might be superior to GLP1RA in reducing kidney outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes. Future trials are needed to corroborate our findings.

FUNDING

None.

Spop ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through restraining NLRP3 inflammasome

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common causes for end-stage renal disease without effective therapies available. NLR family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome possesses a fundamental effect to facilitate the pathogenesis of DN. Unfortunately, how NLRP3 inflammasome is mediated still remains largely unclear. In the present study, an E3 ubiquitin ligase Speckle-type BTB-POZ protein (Spop) was identified as a suppressor of NLRP3 inflammasome. We first showed that Spop expression was extensively down-regulated in kidney of DN patients, which was confirmed in kidney of streptozotocin (STZ)-challenged mice and in high glucose (HG)-stimulated podocytes. Intriguingly, we showed that conditional knockout (cKO) of Spop in podocytes considerably accelerated renal dysfunction and pathological changes in the glomerulus of STZ-induced mice with DN, along with severe podocyte injury. Furthermore, Spop specific ablation in podocytes dramatically facilitated inflammatory response in glomeruli of DN mice via enhancing NLRP3 inflammasome and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways, which were confirmed in HG-cultured podocytes. Notably, our findings indicated that Spop directly interacted with NLRP3. More importantly, Spop promoted NLRP3 degradation via elevating K48-linked polyubiquitination of NLRP3. Collectively, our findings disclosed a mechanisms through which Spop limited NLRP3 inflammasome under HG condition, and illustrated that Spop may be a novel therapeutic target to suppress NLRP3 inflammasome, contributing to the DN management.

New progress in drugs treatment of diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is not only one of the main complications of diabetes, but also the leading cause of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The occurrence and development of DKD have always been a serious clinical problem that leads to the increase of morbidity and mortality and the severe damage to the quality of life of human beings. Controlling blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids, and improving lifestyle can help slow the progress of DKD. In recent years, with the extensive research on the pathological mechanism and molecular mechanism of DKD, there are more and more new drugs based on this, such as new hypoglycemic drugs sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibitors, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors with good efficacy in clinical treatment. Besides, there are some newly developed drugs, including protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, advanced glycation end product (AGE) inhibitors, aldosterone receptor inhibitors, endothelin receptor (ETR) inhibitors, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) inhibitors, Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors and so on, which show positive effects in animal or clinical trials and bring hope for the treatment of DKD. In this review, we sort out the progress in the treatment of DKD in recent years, the research status of some emerging drugs, and the potential drugs for the treatment of DKD in the future, hoping to provide some directions for clinical treatment of DKD.

Diabetic kidney disease: new clinical and therapeutic issues. Joint position statement of the Italian Diabetes Society and the Italian Society of Nephrology on "The natural history of diabetic kidney disease and treatment of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function"

Aims

This joint document of the Italian Diabetes Society and the Italian Society of Nephrology reviews the natural history of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in the light of the recent epidemiological literature and provides updated recommendations on anti-hyperglycemic treatment with non-insulin agents.

Data Synthesis

Recent epidemiological studies have disclosed a wide heterogeneity of DKD. In addition to the classical albuminuric phenotype, two new albuminuria-independent phenotypes have emerged, i.e., “nonalbuminuric renal impairment” and “progressive renal decline”, suggesting that DKD progression toward end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) may occur through two distinct pathways, albuminuric and nonalbuminuric. Several biomarkers have been associated with decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) independent of albuminuria and other clinical variables, thus possibly improving ESKD prediction. However, the pathogenesis and anatomical correlates of these phenotypes are still unclear. Also the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function has profoundly changed during the last two decades. New anti-hyperglycemic drugs, which do not cause hypoglycemia and weight gain and, in some cases, seem to provide cardiorenal protection, have become available for treatment of these individuals. In addition, the lowest eGFR safety thresholds for some of the old agents, particularly metformin and insulin secretagogues, have been reconsidered.

Conclusions

The heterogeneity in the clinical presentation and course of DKD has important implications for the diagnosis, prognosis, and possibly treatment of this complication. The therapeutic options for patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function have substantially increased, thus allowing a better management of these individuals.

Deciphering the Efficacy and Mechanisms of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Diabetic Kidney Disease by Integrating Web-Based Biochemical Databases and Real-World Clinical Data: Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most crucial causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the efficacy and biomedical mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for DKD in clinical settings remain unclear.

Objective

This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of DKD patients with CHM-only management and the possible molecular pathways of CHM by integrating web-based biomedical databases and real-world clinical data.

Methods

A total of 152,357 patients with incident DKD from 2004 to 2012 were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. The risk of mortality was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression considering demographic covariates. The inverse probability of treatment weighting was used for confounding bias between CHM users and nonusers. Furthermore, to decipher the CHM used for DKD, we analyzed all CHM prescriptions using the Chinese Herbal Medicine Network (CMN), which combined association rule mining and social network analysis for all CHM prescriptions. Further, web-based biomedical databases, including STITCH, STRING, BindingDB, TCMSP, TCM@Taiwan, and DisGeNET, were integrated with the CMN and commonly used Western medicine (WM) to explore the differences in possible target proteins and molecular pathways between CHM and WM. An application programming interface was used to assess these online databases to obtain the latest biomedical information.

Results

About 13.7% (20,947/131,410) of patients were classified as CHM users among eligible DKD patients. The median follow-up duration of all patients was 2.49 years. The cumulative mortality rate in the CHM cohort was significantly lower than that in the WM cohort (28% vs 48%, P<.001). The risk of mortality was 0.41 in the CHM cohort with covariate adjustment (99% CI 0.38-0.43; P<.001). A total of 173,525 CHM prescriptions were used to construct the CMN with 11 CHM clusters. CHM covered more DKD-related proteins and pathways than WM; nevertheless, WM aimed at managing DKD more specifically. From the overrepresentation tests carried out by the online website Reactome, the molecular pathways covered by the CHM clusters in the CMN and WM seemed distinctive but complementary. Complementary effects were also found among DKD patients with concurrent WM and CHM use. The risk of mortality for CHM users under renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibition therapy was lower than that for CHM nonusers among DKD patients with hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.47, 99% CI 0.45-0.51; P<.001), chronic heart failure (aHR 0.43, 99% CI 0.37-0.51; P<.001), and ischemic heart disease (aHR 0.46, 99% CI 0.41-0.51; P<.001).

Conclusions

CHM users among DKD patients seemed to have a lower risk of mortality, which may benefit from potentially synergistic renoprotection effects. The framework of integrating real-world clinical databases and web-based biomedical databases could help in exploring the roles of treatments for diseases.

Cardiorenal Protection in Diabetic Kidney Disease

Over the last 5 years there have been many new developments in the management of diabetic kidney disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors were initially used for glycemic control, but more recent studies have now shown that their benefits extend to cardiovascular and kidney outcomes. The recent addition of data on the novel mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) gives us another approach to further decrease the residual risk of diabetic kidney disease progression. In this review we describe the mechanism of action, key studies, and possible adverse effects related to these three classes of medications. The management of type 2 diabetes now includes an increasing number of medications for the management of comorbidities in a patient population at significant risk of cardiovascular disease and progression of chronic kidney disease. It is from this perspective that we seek to outline the rationale for the sequential and/or combined use of SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 RA and MRAs in patients with type 2 diabetes for heart and kidney protection.

Mitochondrion-driven nephroprotective mechanisms of novel glucose lowering medications

Therapy for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is undergoing a revolution with the realization that some glucose-lowering drugs have nephroprotective actions that may be intrinsic to the drugs and not dependent on the impact on diabetes control, as demonstrated with the sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors. Mitochondria are a critical factor required for the maintenance of kidney function, given its high energy demanding profile, with extensive use of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Consequently, deficiency of the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α predisposes to kidney disease. Perhaps as a result of key role of mitochondria in fundamental cellular functions, mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in the pathogenesis of common conditions such as DKD. Finding pharmacological agents to influence this pathway could therefore lead to early implementation of therapy. Importantly, glucose-lowering drugs such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor activators and SGLT2 inhibitors have kidney and/or cardioprotective actions in patients with diabetes. Accumulating evidence from preclinical studies has suggested a protective effect of these drugs that is in part mediated by normalizing mitochondrial function. We now critically review this evidence and discuss studies needed to confirm mitochondrial protective benefits across a range of clinical studies.

PTPN14 deficiency alleviates podocyte injury through suppressing inflammation and fibrosis by targeting TRIP6 in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes, and a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. However, the pathogenesis that contributes to DKD is still not fully understood. Protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 14 (PTPN14), a non receptor tyrosine phosphatase, has numerous cellular events, such as inflammation and cell death. But its potential on DKD has not been investigated yet. In this study, we found that PTPN14 expression was markedly up-regulated in kidney samples of DKD patients, which were confirmed in diabetic mice and were clearly localized in glomeruli. The diabetic mouse model was established using streptozotocin (STZ) in wild type (WT) or PTPN knockout (KO) mice. After, STZ challenge, STZ mice displayed improved kidney functions. The results also showed that STZ-induced histological changes and podocyte injury in renal tissues, which were effectively alleviated by PTPN14 deletion. Moreover, PTPN14 deficiency significantly mitigated inflammatory response and fibrosis in glomeruli of STZ-challenged mice through restraining the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 signaling pathways, respectively. The inhibitory effects of PTPN14 suppression on inflammation and fibrosis were confirmed in high glucose (HG)-incubated podocytes. We further found that thyroid receptor interactor protein 6 (TRIP6) expression was dramatically up-regulated in glomeruli of STZ-challenged mice, and was abolished by PTPN14 deletion, which was confirmed in HG-treated podocytes with PTPN14 knockdown. Intriguingly, our in vitro studies showed that PTPN14 directly interacted with TRIP6. Of note, over-expressing TRIP6 markedly abrogated the effects of PTPN14 silence to restrict inflammatory response and fibrosis in HG-incubated podocytes. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that targeting PTPN14 may provide feasible therapies for DKD treatment.

Diabetic kidney disease: update on clinical management and non-glycaemic effects of newer medications for type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide and continues to increase in prevalence. This in turn has significant implications for healthcare provision and the economy. In recent years there have been multiple advances in the glucose-lowering agents available for the treatment of diabetes, which not only modify the disease itself but also have important benefits in terms of the associated cardiovascular outcomes. The cardiovascular outcome trials of agents such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-RAs) and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2) have demonstrated significant benefits in reducing major adverse cardiovascular events, admissions for heart failure and in some cases mortality. Secondary analysis of these trials has also indicated significant renoprotective benefit. Canagliflozin and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Nephropathy (CREDENCE) a renal-specific trial, has shown major benefits with canagliflozin for renal outcomes in diabetic kidney disease, and similar trials with other SGLT-2 inhibitors are either underway or awaiting analysis. In this article we review current goals of treatment of diabetes and the implications of advancing renal impairment on choice of treatments. Areas discussed include the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease and current treatment strategies for diabetic kidney disease ranging from lifestyle modifications to glycaemic control. This review focuses on the role of GLP-RAs and SGLT-2 inhibitors in treating those with diabetes and chronic kidney disease with some illustrative cases. It is clear that these agents should now be considered first choice in combination with metformin in those with diabetes and increased cardiovascular risk and/or reduced renal function, and in preference to other classes such as dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors or sulphonylureas.

The New Biology of Diabetic Kidney Disease-Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications

Diabetic kidney disease remains the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease in the world. Despite reductions in incidence rates of myocardial infarction and stroke in people with diabetes over the past 3 decades, the risk of diabetic kidney disease has remained unchanged, and may even be increasing in younger individuals afflicted with this disease. Accordingly, changes in public health policy have to be implemented to address the root causes of diabetic kidney disease, including the rise of obesity and diabetes, in addition to the use of safe and effective pharmacological agents to prevent cardiorenal complications in people with diabetes. The aim of this article is to review the mechanisms of pathogenesis and therapies that are either in clinical practice or that are emerging in clinical development programs for potential use to treat diabetic kidney disease.

Basic and Clinical Pharmaco-Therapeutics of SGLT2 Inhibitors: A Contemporary Update

Clinical relevance of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has been rapidly evolving across several therapy areas, apart from type 2 diabetes mellitus. While some of these developments are based on recognized scientific explanations, unexpected study findings have also shaped much of our present understanding. As the role of these agents evolves in various facets of cardiology, nephrology, hepatology and endocrinology, their optimum clinical value propositions should be realized in line with the principles of personalized medicine. An updated pharmaco-ergonomic qualification tool, based on the present evidence with these agents, would be a step in this direction. This review describes the present evidence on diverse pharmacological and therapeutic aspects for various SGLT2 inhibitors, as an attempt to provide useful guidance for optimum application in clinical practice.

Basic and Clinical Pharmaco-Therapeutics of SGLT2 Inhibitors: A Contemporary Update

Clinical relevance of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has been rapidly evolving across several therapy areas, apart from type 2 diabetes mellitus. While some of these developments are based on recognized scientific explanations, unexpected study findings have also shaped much of our present understanding. As the role of these agents evolves in various facets of cardiology, nephrology, hepatology and endocrinology, their optimum clinical value propositions should be realized in line with the principles of personalized medicine. An updated pharmaco-ergonomic qualification tool, based on the present evidence with these agents, would be a step in this direction. This review describes the present evidence on diverse pharmacological and therapeutic aspects for various SGLT2 inhibitors, as an attempt to provide useful guidance for optimum application in clinical practice.

Renal Benefits of SGLT 2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Evidence Supporting a Paradigm Shift in the Medical Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most perilous side effects of diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2 (T1DM and T2DM).). It is known that sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT 2i) and glucagone like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have renoprotective effects, but the molecular mechanisms are still unknown. In clinical trials GLP-1 analogs exerted important impact on renal composite outcomes, primarily on macroalbuminuria, possibly through suppression of inflammation-related pathways, however enhancement of natriuresis and diuresis is also one of possible mechanisms of nephroprotection. Dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and empagliflozin are SGLT2i drugs, useful in reducing hyperglycemia and in their potential renoprotective mechanisms, which include blood pressure control, body weight loss, intraglomerular pressure reduction, and a decrease in urinary proximal tubular injury biomarkers. In this review we have discussed the potential synergistic and/or additive effects of GLP 1 RA and SGLT2 inhibitors on the primary onset and progression of kidney disease, and the potential implications on current guidelines of diabetes type 2 management.

Diabetic kidney disease: New clinical and therapeutic issues. Joint position statement of the Italian Diabetes Society and the Italian Society of Nephrology on "The natural history of diabetic kidney disease and treatment of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function"

AIMS

This joint document of the Italian Diabetes Society and the Italian Society of Nephrology reviews the natural history of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in the light of the recent epidemiological literature and provides updated recommendations on anti-hyperglycemic treatment with non-insulin agents.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Recent epidemiological studies have disclosed a wide heterogeneity of DKD. In addition to the classical albuminuric phenotype, two new albuminuria-independent phenotypes have emerged, i.e., "nonalbuminuric renal impairment" and "progressive renal decline", suggesting that DKD progression toward end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) may occur through two distinct pathways, albuminuric and nonalbuminuric. Several biomarkers have been associated with decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) independent of albuminuria and other clinical variables, thus possibly improving ESKD prediction. However, the pathogenesis and anatomical correlates of these phenotypes are still unclear. Also the management of hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function has profoundly changed during the last two decades. New anti-hyperglycemic drugs, which do not cause hypoglycemia and weight gain and, in some cases, seem to provide cardiorenal protection, have become available for treatment of these individuals. In addition, the lowest eGFR safety thresholds for some of the old agents, particularly metformin and insulin secretagogues, have been reconsidered.

CONCLUSIONS

The heterogeneity in the clinical presentation and course of DKD has important implications for the diagnosis, prognosis, and possibly treatment of this complication. The therapeutic options for patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired renal function have substantially increased, thus allowing a better management of these individuals.

A 24-week, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial comparing bexagliflozin with sitagliptin as an adjunct to metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults

AIM

To compare the relative safety and effectiveness of bexagliflozin and sitagliptin as adjuncts to metformin for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Participants (n = 386) were randomized to receive bexagliflozin (20 mg) or sitagliptin (100 mg) in addition to their existing doses of metformin. The primary endpoint was the non-inferiority of bexagliflozin to sitagliptin for change in HbA1c from baseline to week 24. Changes from baseline to week 24 in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), body mass (in subjects with baseline body mass index ≥25 kg m^-2 ) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

The mean change from baseline to week 24 in HbA1c was -0.74 (95% CI -0.86%, -0.62%) in the bexagliflozin arm and -0.82% (95% CI -0.93%, -0.71%) in the sitagliptin arm, establishing non-inferiority. The changes from baseline FPG, body mass and SBP were -1.82 mmol L^-1 , -3.35 kg and -4.23 mmHg in the bexagliflozin arm and -1.45 mmol L^-1 , -0.81 kg and -1.90 mmHg in the sitagliptin arm, respectively. These differences were significant for the first two measures (one-sided P = 0.0123, P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0276, respectively.) Adverse events were experienced by 47.1% of subjects in the bexagliflozin arm and 56.0% of subjects taking sitagliptin. Serious adverse events affected 3.7% of subjects in the bexagliflozin arm and 2.1% of subjects in the sitagliptin arm.

CONCLUSIONS

Bexagliflozin was non-inferior to sitagliptin and provided benefits over sitagliptin in FPG and body mass. Adverse event incidences in the two arms were similar.

What Clinicians Need to Know About the Cardiovascular Effects of the Most Recent Classes of Drugs Used for Type 2 Diabetes

The treatment of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes has seen a sea change in recent years with the development of novel antihyperglycemic agents. The impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), two medication classes introduced in the United States in the wake of increased scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration on cardiovascular disease and antihyperglycemic agents, highlight this progression. In recent trials, SGLT2 inhibitors have demonstrated significant reductions in admissions for heart failure in patients with established cardiovascular disease and those at risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as significant reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events for those with established cardiovascular disease. GLP-1 RAs have exhibited consistent reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events for patients with established cardiovascular disease. These developments have led the 2019 American Diabetes Association guidelines to recommend considering each patient's cardiovascular history when selecting antihyperglycemic agents. The goal of this article is to review recent updates and provide relevant strategies for providers on SGLT2 and GLP-1 RAs in treating cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes.

Economic Burden of ESRD to the Malaysian Health Care System

Introduction

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Malaysia is 9.07% of the total population, of which 0.36% are at stage 5 CKD or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Public-private partnership has improved accessibility of renal replacement therapies (RRT), especially dialysis, in Malaysia, but the economic burden of the existing RRT financing mechanism, which is predominantly provided by the public sector, has never been quantified.

Methods

Primary data were collected through a standardized survey, and secondary data analysis was used to derive estimates of the ESRD expenditure.

Results

Total annual expenditure of ESRD by the public sector has grown 94% within a span of 7 years, from Malaysian Ringgit [MYR] 572 million (US dollars [USD] 405 million, purchasing power parity [PPP] 2010) in 2010 to MYR 1.12 billion (USD 785 million, PPP 2016) in 2016. The total ESRD expenditure in 2010 constituted 2.95% of the public sector’s total health expenditure, whereas in 2016, the proportion has increased to 4.2%. Only 6% of ESRD expenditure was spent on renal transplantation, and the remaining 94% was spent on dialysis.

Conclusion

The share of ESRD expenditure in total health expenditure for the public sector is considered substantial given only a small proportion of the population is affected by the disease. The rapid increase in expenditure relative to the national total health expenditure should warrant the relevant authorities about sustainability of the existing financing mechanism of ESRD and the importance to institutionalize more drastic preventive measures.

Global diabetic kidney disease research from 2000 to 2017: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the scientific outputs of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) research and explore its hotspots and frontiers from 2000 to 2017, using bibliometric methods.

METHODS

Articles in DKD research between 2000 and 2017 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). We used the VOSviewer 1.6.8 and CiteSpace 5.2 to analyze publication years, journals, countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords. Keywords with citation bursts were used to analyze the research hotspots and emerging trends.

RESULTS

We identified 27,577 publications in DKD research from 2000 to 2017. The annual publication number increased with time. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation published the highest number of articles. The United States was the most influential country with most publications and collaborations with other countries. Harvard University was the leading institute. Parving had the most cited publications. Keywords analysis indicated that the renin-angiotensin system inhibition used to be the most prevalent research topic, while recent research hotspots were podocyte, inflammation, and biomarker. The biomarkers for DKD screening, diagnosis, and prognosis could be a research frontier.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of DKD related publications rapidly increased over the past 2 decades. Our study revealed the structure, hotspots, and evolution trends of DKD research. Further studies and more collaborations are needed.

Preventing and treating kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a huge burden in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This review therefore has the aim of assessing the add-on value of new glucose-lowering agents compared or combined with inhibitors of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) on renal outcomes in T2DM patients.

AREAS COVERED

This article first summarizes the results reported with RAAS inhibitors, mainstay of nephroprotection in T2DM with albuminuria. Second, it describes the positive results with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and, even more impressive, sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is). Third, besides the potential of combined therapies, it briefly considers some new approaches currently in development.

EXPERT OPINION

RAAS inhibitors exert renoprotective effects beyond their blood pressure lowering effects while SGLT2is, and possibly GLP-1RAs, exert nephroprotection independently of their glucose-lowering activity. These effects were demonstrated not only on surrogate endpoints such as albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate decline, but also on hard endpoints, including progression to end-stage renal disease requiring replacement therapy. The underlying mechanisms are different and potentially complementary on glomerular hemodynamics, arguing for combined therapies. Nevertheless, there is still room for new emerging drugs to tackle CKD in T2DM.

New hypoglycemic agents and the kidney: what do the major trials tell us?

As the burden of diabetic kidney disease continues to expand, new therapies to preserve renal function or prevent diabetic nephropathy are urgently needed. In the past decade, a number of new hypoglycemic classes have emerged, each with a unique profile of action and benefits. Here we review the impact of glycemic control on renal outcomes and the results of the major clinical trials of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, and sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Both GLP-1 agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors consistently demonstrate renal benefits. Further studies of these new agents in different patient groups and in comparison to (or in combination with) other treatments are required to better define their role in combating the burden of diabetic kidney disease.