• There are serious unmet medical needs in kidney diseases. Since fibrosis is a common terminal pathology of various kidney diseases and closely related to renal failure, anti-fibrotic therapies are plausible strategies for kidney diseases. Kidney fibrosis progresses with the emergence of myofibroblasts which produce extracellular matrix. We demonstrated that myofibroblasts originate from renal interstitial fibroblasts, which produce the erythroid growth factor erythropoietin, and that the transformation is reversible. To elucidate mechanisms of kidney fibrosis, we have established a cell line derived from myofibroblasts of mouse kidneys. It has been demonstrated that epigenetic interventions restore the cells (Replic cells) to their original fibroblastic features.

Replic cells provide useful and precise strategies to identify anti-fibrotic drugs.

• kidney
• fibrosis
• myofibroblasts
• erythropoietin
• chronic kidney disease
• dedifferentiation
• hypoxia
• oxidative stress