IDENTIFICATION OF GENES HAVING A ROLE IN THE PRESENTATION OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

摘要

A method for identifying a gene having a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy comprises culturing mesangial cells in the presence of a concentration of glucose sufficient to induce differential expression, especially up-regulation, of a gene susceptible to such differential expression and identifying the gene so induced. The cells are also optionally subjected to mechanical strain and/or TGF-beta1 can be added to the culture medium. The differentially expressed genes can be identified by suppression subtractive hybridisation. The method has resulted in the identification of novel genes which play a role in the presentation of diabetic nephropathy. The genes can be used as diagnostic markers for diabetic nephropathy and as the basis of drug development programmes.