Vitamin D, Cellular Senescence and Chronic Kidney Diseases: What Is Missing in the Equation?

As life expectancy increases in many countries, the prevalence of age-related diseases also rises. Among these conditions, chronic kidney disease is predicted to become the second cause of death in some countries before the end of the century. An important problem with kidney diseases is the lack of biomarkers to detect early damage or to predict the progression to renal failure. In addition, current treatments only retard kidney disease progression, and better tools are needed. Preclinical research has shown the involvement of the activation of cellular senescence-related mechanisms in natural aging and kidney injury. Intensive research is searching for novel treatments for kidney diseases as well as for anti-aging therapies. In this sense, many experimental shreds of evidence support that treatment with vitamin D or its analogs can exert pleiotropic protective effects in kidney injury. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency has been described in patients with kidney diseases. Here, we review recent evidence about the relationship between vitamin D and kidney diseases, explaining the underlying mechanisms of the effect of vitamin D actions, with particular attention to the modulation of cellular senescence mechanisms.

Automated summary

With the increase in life expectancy, age-related diseases such as chronic kidney disease are becoming more prevalent, posing a significant health issue in some countries. The lack of biomarkers for early detection of kidney damage and prediction of renal failure progression is a major problem, as current treatments only slow down disease progression. Preclinical research has highlighted the involvement of cellular senescence-related mechanisms in kidney injury and natural aging. In this context, vitamin D or its analogs have shown potential in protecting against kidney injury, with vitamin D deficiency being observed in patients with kidney diseases. This review provides recent evidence on the relationship between vitamin D and kidney diseases, focusing on the underlying mechanisms and the modulation of cellular senescence mechanisms.