AUTHOR=Yang Ming , Luo Shilu , Yang Jinfei , Chen Wei , He Liyu , Liu Di , Zhao Li , Wang Xi TITLE=Bone-kidney axis: A potential therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.996776 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.996776 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=As the main cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), diabetic nephropathy (DN) is still lack of effective prevention and treatment. Recently, organ-to-organ communication has become a new focus in the study of disease pathogenesis. Bone, as an important part of the body, can also secrete bone-derived proteins or peptides that act on distal organs in the form of endocrine. As an organ with high metabolism, the kidney carries on signal and material exchange with other organs at any time through circulation. In this review, we briefly introduce bone composition, summarize current status of bone-derived proteins, and discuss their role in the progression of DN. Finally, the "bone-renal axis" as a potential target for early diagnosis and treatment of DN was proposed.