Differentiation of parietal epithelial cells into podocytes

A new study demonstrates that knockdown of miR-193a in human parietal epithelial cells induces their differentiation into podocytes. Inhibition of miR-193a in a model of nephrotoxic nephritis resulted in reduced proteinuria and crescent formation. These data suggest that promoting differentiation of parietal progenitors into podocytes has potential therapeutic relevance.