The podocyte slit-diaphragm: target of anti-nephrin antibodies

These findings raise several questions to be answered experimentally, including the nephrin epitopes targeted by the antibodies and the way in which they alter the slit-diaphragm and podocyte architecture and induce nephrin endocytosis. They also highlight the need for a reliable and widely available assay for anti-nephrin antibodies, which would have diagnostic and therapeutic impact on diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.