Nature Communications (Jan 2022)

A Klotho-derived peptide protects against kidney fibrosis by targeting TGF-β signaling

  • Qian Yuan,
  • Qian Ren,
  • Li Li,
  • Huishi Tan,
  • Meizhi Lu,
  • Yuan Tian,
  • Lu Huang,
  • Boxin Zhao,
  • Haiyan Fu,
  • Fan Fan Hou,
  • Lili Zhou,
  • Youhua Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28096-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Klotho is an anti-ageing protein whose expression is downregulated in chronic kidney disease, but the large size of the protein makes it challenging to deliver therapeutically. Here, the authors develop a Klotho-derived peptide, and show that it recapitulates the anti-fibrotic action of Klotho and prevents kidney fibrosis in mice by targeting TGF-β signalling.