Issues

Progressive nephritis in NZB/W F1 mice, a murine model for lupus nephritis, is accompanied by progressive fibrosis characterised by increased deposition of collagen in the kidney. In the latest issue of Clinical Science (volume 133, issue 15), Zhang et al. describe experiments comparing mycophenolate and rapamycin in the treatment of murine lupus nephritis, focusing on kidney fibrosis which is a harbinger of kidney failure. Mycophenolate is a standard-of-care treatment for patients with lupus nephritis; and rapamycin is a drug currently used in the prevention of kidney transplant rejection, with anecdotal experience in patients with lupus nephritis. The cover image demonstrates comparable efficacy between mycophenolate and rapamycin in reducing the histopathologic severity of nephritis and collagen accumulation (blue colouration, Masson's trichrome staining).