Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40451505›Full record

ArticleKidney international2025

The enzyme SMPDL3b in podocytes decouples proteinuria from chronic kidney disease progression in experimental Alport Syndrome.

Alla Mitrofanova, Antonio M Fontanella, Judith Molina, Guanshi Zhang, Shamroop K Mallela, Luisa Ulloa Severino, Javier Varona Santos J, Matthew Tolerico, Rachel Njeim, Wadih Issa and 13 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Kidney international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Regulated cell death: a multidimensional regulatory network in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis.Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Alla MitrofanovaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. Electronic address: a.mitrofanova@miami.edu.
Antonio M FontanellaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Judith MolinaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Guanshi ZhangDivision of Nephrology, Center for Precision Medicine, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Shamroop K MallelaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Luisa Ulloa SeverinoDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Unity Health Toronto and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Javier Varona Santos JKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Matthew TolericoKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Rachel NjeimKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Wadih IssaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Division of Nephrology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Maria BoulinaDiabetes Research Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Arianna CarrazcoKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Veronika SemenovaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Yiqin ZuoDepartment of Pathology, University of Miami Medical Group, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Maria FicarellaKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DIMEPRE-J), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Jin Ju KimKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Alexis SloanKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Kumar SharmaDivision of Nephrology, Center for Precision Medicine, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Darren A YuenDivision of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Unity Health Toronto and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Laura PerinGOFARR Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Urology, Saban Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
George W BurkeDepartment of Surgery, Miami Transplant Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Alessia FornoniKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Sandra MerscherKatz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.

Funding

Miami Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUL1TR002736 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI CARRASQUILLO, OLVEEN, KOBETZ, ERIN N · 2018 to 2022
$23.2M
ConProject-002U2CDK114886 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI HIMMELFARB, JONATHAN · 2017 to 2021
$21.0M
Training Program in Clinical & Translationa Research in Human Glomerular DiseaseU54DK083912 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI KRETZLER, MATTHIAS · 2009 to 2023
$20.3M
Miami Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUM1TR004556 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI Olveen Carrasquillo, ERIN N KOBETZ · 2023 to 2026
$16.0M
San Antonio OAIC - Research Education Component (REC)P30AG044271 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI Adam Salmon, Elena Volpi · 2015 to 2026
$14.1M
CureGNU24DK100845 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI CRYSTAL A. GADEGBEKU, Laura H Mariani · 2019 to 2026
$12.1M
Crosstalk Between Lipid Droplets and Other Organelles in PodocytesR01DK104753 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI FORNONI, ALESSIA · 2015 to 2025
$5.9M
University of Michigan O'Brien Kidney Translational Resource Center (MKTC)U54DK137314 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Subramaniam Pennathur · 2023 to 2026
$4.7M
Spatial Multi-Omics to Profile Metabolic Pathways for Kidney DiseaseU01DK114920 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI Christopher R Anderton, Kumar Sharma · 2022 to 2026
$3.9M
Spatial Metabolomics for Human KidneysUH3DK114920 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · PI SHARMA, KUMAR · 2019 to 2021
$2.7M
1/13 ApoL1 Genotypes in Kidney Donors and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients Clinical CenterU01DK116101 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI ALESSIA FORNONI, Mariella Cecilia Ortigosa-goggins · 2017 to 2026
$2.4M
APOM deficiency contributes to renal failure in glomerular diseasesR01DK136679 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI ALESSIA FORNONI · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
BLRD VA I01 BX003234NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002736NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR004556NIA NIH HHS P30 AG044271NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK104753NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK110541NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK136679NIDDK NIH HHS R43 DK130732NIDDK NIH HHS R56 DK104753NIDDK NIH HHS U01 DK114920NIDDK NIH HHS U01 DK116101NIDDK NIH HHS U24 DK100845NIDDK NIH HHS U2C DK114886NIDDK NIH HHS U54 DK083912NIDDK NIH HHS U54 DK137314NIDDK NIH HHS UE5 DK137308NIDDK NIH HHS UG3 DK114920NIDDK NIH HHS UH3 DK114920
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic kidney disease, including Alport Syndrome, is linked to collagen type IV mutations, lipid dysmetabolism, and altered sphingolipid pathways, with no targeted therapies currently available. Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase acid-like 3b (SMPDL3b), a key regulator of sphingolipid metabolism and membrane receptor organization in podocytes, may drive disease via ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate pathways. This study tested whether altered SMPDL3b expression contributes to glomerular injury and renal decline in Alport Syndrome.

methodsArchived Alport Syndrome human biopsies were used for immunohistochemistry and NanoString re-analysis of SMPDL3b. Murine podocytes isolated from mouse models of Alport Syndrome were profiled using Illumina. Mouse models of Alport Syndrome and models with either podocyte-specific deletion or inducible overexpression of Smpdl3b were generated to assess renal function using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry imaging and atomic force microscopy.

resultsWe found a three-fold increase in SMPDL3b expression in glomeruli, tubules and murine podocytes isolated from Col4a3 knockout mice. Increased SMPDL3b expression occurred in association with alterations affecting kidney sphingolipid metabolism, increased glomerular but not tubular sphingosine-1-phosphate levels and reduced glomerular basement membrane and podocyte stiffness. Podocyte-specific Smpdl3b deletion in Col4a3 knockout mice was sufficient to restore sphingosine-1-phosphate levels, to reduce proteinuria, podocyte foot process effacement, and improve glomerular basement membrane and podocyte stiffness, but not sufficient to protect from kidney failure.

conclusionsOur study suggests that SMPDL3b may be a key modulator of proteinuria and podocyte integrity in Alport Syndrome, decoupling proteinuria from kidney failure, and suggests that improvement of glomerular structure and function may not always translate into protection from chronic kidney disease progression.

Indexed as

Nephritis, HereditaryPodocytesProteinuriaRenal Insufficiency, ChronicSphingomyelin PhosphodiesteraseAnimalsAutoantigensCollagen Type IVDisease Models, AnimalDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansKidney GlomerulusLysophospholipidsMaleMiceAutoantigensCollagen Type IVLysophospholipidsSMPDL3B protein, humanSphingomyelin PhosphodiesteraseSphingosinesphingosine 1-phosphatetype IV collagen alpha3 chainAlport syndromepodocyteproteinuriaSMPDL3bstiffness

Identifiers

PMID40451505
PMCPMC12724640

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