AUTHOR=Hu Liling , Chen Huike TITLE=Research progress on endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis in acute kidney injury JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025 YEAR=2025 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1595845 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2025.1595845 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the most metabolically active organelle in cells, and recent research has shown that abnormal ER function is involved in the occurrence and development of acute kidney injury (AKI), but the underlying molecular mechanism needs to be further elucidated. Here, we review the biological functions of the ER in cellular metabolism, explore the current research progress on the role of the ER in different triggers of AKI, and summarize the ER stress inhibitors discovered thus far. Finally, we explore the possibility of targeting ER homeostasis as a therapeutic target for AKI.