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The study of single cells in diabetic kidney disease

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Abstract

In the past few years there has been a rapid expansion of interest in the study of single cells, especially through the new techniques that involve single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Recently, these techniques have provided new insights into kidney health and disease, including insights into diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, despite the interest and the technological advances, the study of individual cells in DKD is not a new concept. Many clinicians and researchers who work within the DKD space may be familiar with experimental techniques that actually involve the study of individual cells, but may be unfamiliar with newer scRNA-seq technology. Here, with the goal of improving accessibility to the single-cell field, we provide a primer on single-cell studies with a focus on DKD. We situate the technology in its historical context and provide a brief explanation of the common aspects of the different technologies available. Then we review some of the most important recent studies of kidney (patho)biology that have taken advantage of scRNA-seq techniques, before emphasizing the new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of DKD gleaned with these techniques. Finally, we highlight common pitfalls and limitations of scRNA-seq methods and we look toward the future to how single-cell experiments may be incorporated into the study of DKD and how to interpret the findings of these experiments.

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Acknowledgements

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Funding

This article was supported, in part, with funds from a Banting and Best Diabetes Centre Sun Life Financial Pilot and Feasibility grant to A.A.. H.K. is a recipient of a KRESCENT Post-doctoral Fellowship from the Kidney Foundation of Canada. A.A. is a recipient of a Diabetes Investigator Award from Diabetes Canada and holds the Keenan Chair in Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital and University of Toronto.

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  1. Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, 6-151 61 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON, M5C 2T2, Canada

    Harmandeep Kaur & Andrew Advani

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H.K. and A.A. researched and wrote the article.

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Kaur, H., Advani, A. The study of single cells in diabetic kidney disease. J Nephrol 34, 1925–1939 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40620-020-00964-1

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