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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2014 Mar;21(2):134–151. doi: 10.1053/j.ackd.2013.09.004

Figure 2. The melanocortin based therapy is effective in glomerular diseases via both direct protection of glomerular cells and systemic immunomodulation.

Figure 2

Melanocortins and their synthetic analogues induce remission of glomerular diseases mainly by targeting the glomerular cells (podocytes, mesangial cells and glomerular endothelial cells) and immune competence cells via the expressed melanocortin receptors (pathways in blue) and thereby exerting both a direct cellular protective effect on glomerular cells and a systemic immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effect. ACTH, the only melanocortin peptide with steroidogenic activities, exerts an additional cortisol dependent effect that might also contribute to the remission of glomerular diseases (pathways in yellow). P, podocytes; M, mesangium; E, glomerular endothelial cells; C, glomerular capillary lumen; BC, Bowman’s capsule; APC, antigen presenting cells. Schematic of a normal glomerulus is reproduced with permission from Quaggin SE and Kreidberg JA. Development 2008;135(4):609-620. doi:10.1242/dev.001081