Advanced glycation end products:novel target for treating diabetic nephropathy

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) increased or accumulated in the body may get rise to cell dysfunction and promote diabetic microvascular complications,especially the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN).AGEs can cause the functional and structural changes of the kidney.Though focusing on different points of signal pathway,a number of new agents,such as inhibitors and breakers of AGEs,receptor antagonists for AGEs and inhibitors to the signal transduction pathway after AGEs receptor,can decrease the negative effect of AGEs on target organs and play therapeutic roles in DN. Key words: Advanced glycation end products;  Diabetic nephropathy;  Drug therapy