Mesangial Cells

Mesangial cells play a critical role in the development of the glomerulus, interacting closely with endothelial cells and podocytes to form a functional filtration unit.

Mesangial cells were originally thought to have purely a "matrix" function, that is, serving as the anchor points for the glomerular capillary wall. However, the evolving view of the mesangial cell is that this cell type has other important functions, including:

• contraction - mesangial cells are derived from smooth muscle cells and may play a role in regulating intraglomerular hemodynamics.
• phagocytosis - playing a role in the immune system of the kidney.
• synthesis & secretion of growth factors and cytokines.
• mesangial cells can also produce excess matrix, which may be important in certain diseases (e.g., IgA nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy).

The low density of mesangial cells and their diffuse distribution complicate the demonstration and evaluation of their function and behavior. In vitro technique and its possibility to culture purified cell types are especially suitable for overcome these problems. Therefore, the in vitro techniques were also developed for the investigation of mesangial cells. These included primary cultures of different species as well as permanent cell types. Analyzing the literature, it can even be said that most of our knowledge about the function of mesangial cells under normal and pathological conditions is based on studies using mesangial cell cultures. Thus, mesangial cell research still holds much promise.