Glomerulonephritis: From new knowledge on the mechanisms of tissue damage to novel therapies

Remarkable progress has been made in the past two years in the investigation of immunological events and effector mechanisms which lead to glomerular inflammation and tissue damage, suggesting a number of areas in which therapeutic modulation is possible. We review recent advances in the two major areas of investigation in this field: the nephritogenic response to glomerulonephritis and local inflammatory reaction, and the novel therapeutic perspectives that have emerged from insights into the biology and pathology of the immune and inflammatory response.