Work

The many roles of the calcium-sensing receptor in the kidney

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is a central regulator of renal mineral homeostasis and tubular function. Since the discovery of its expression in the kidney, numerous studies have demonstrated that its actions are finely distributed along the nephron. Through these segment-specific mechanisms, the CaSR orchestrates diverse physiological processes: contributes to the integrity of the filtration barrier, regulates proximal and distal tubular handling of essential ions such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium, and influences water transport and acid-base balance, integrating mineral metabolism with overall renal function. Collectively, these functions establish the CaSR as a key integrator of nephron physiology, linking calcium sensing to ion transport, cellular signaling, and renal protection under both physiological and pathological conditions.

Source: American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology

DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00415.2025

Authors: Miguel A. Gutierrez-Gallardo, Jessica Paola Bahena-Lopez, David H. Ellison, Gerardo Gamba

Institutions: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Oregon Health & Science University

Language: English

Topic: Parathyroid Disorders and Treatments

Subfield: Nephrology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases

Awards: G3382987396, G8995874568, WNK Kinase Regulation of Thiazide-sensitive NaCl Transport