Role of renal tubular programed cell death in diabetic kidney disease

The pathogenic mechanism of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is involved in various functions; however, its inadequate characterisation limits the availability of effective treatments. Tubular damage is closely correlated with renal function and is thought to be the main contributor to the injury observed in early DKD. Programed cell death (PCD) occurs during the biological development of the living body. Accumulating evidence has clarified the fundamental role of abnormalities in tubular PCD during DKD pathogenesis. Among PCD types, classical apoptosis, autophagic cell death, and pyroptosis are the most studied and will be the focus of this review. Our review aims to elucidate the current knowledge of the mechanism of DKD and the potential therapeutic potential of drugs targeting tubular PCD pathways in DKD.