Receptors called integrins play a critical role in maintaining the structure of the kidney, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

New research from Vanderbilt could aid efforts to promote kidney regeneration after injury or to develop engineered organs.

Integrin-linked kinase, a central component of a complex that coordinates cell signaling involved in migration, proliferation and cell death, plays a role in kidney development and epithelial cell function.

Beta-1 integrin, a critical component of epithelial extracellular matrix receptors, is essential for normal lung function in adulthood, researchers at VUMC have discovered.

As a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Bradley Richmond, M.D., saw a lot of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease caused most often by long-term exposure to cigarette smoke.

Integrins are membrane proteins made up of combinations of different “alpha” and “beta” subunits that enable cells throughout the body to interact with their surroundings.

Vanderbilt University researchers have made an important advance in understanding lung development, which one day could lead to improvements in treating lung disease in premature infants and adults.