Metabolic reprogramming in polycystic kidney disease

A recent study shows that, like cancer cells, cells lacking the Pdk1 gene reprogram their metabolism to use aerobic glycolysis—the 'Warburg effect'. Targeting this pathway using a glucose analog that cannot be metabolized resulted in slower disease progression in mouse models of polycystic kidney disease. This work thus suggests a new potential therapeutic approach for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (pages 488–493).