Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury: Renal dendritic cells loudly sound the alarm

Abstract

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major cause of acute renal failure and kidney allograft dysfunction. Dong and colleagues now identify the surveying renal dendritic cell network as the predominant source of tumor necrosis factor-α during the early stages of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, raising the possibility for direct targeting of renal dendritic cells to help ameliorate this common form of renal injury and its sequelae.