Kidney disease is particularly prevalent in diabetes patients leading to the suggestion that by measuring the levels of Klotho in the body doctors will be able to actually prevent kidney disease in diabetes patients before it even happens.
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Hero Images via Getty Images
First author of the study, Dr Giuseppe Maltese, from the Cardiovascular Division at King’s College London said: ‘For the first time, Klotho has been linked to kidney disease in type 1 diabetes patients and this finding represents an exciting step towards developing new markers for disease and potentially new treatments.’
Another rather wonderful side-effect of Klotho is that it works as a powerful protector of the vascular system by fighting against the abnormalities that can occur with age.
One of the most common abnormalities is the thickening of the artery walls, a process known as atherosclerosis.
Dr Richard Siow, a co-author of the study, recently published research which showed the protective effects of Klotho in cardiovascular cells said: “Our research will help scientists to better understand the mechanisms by which this hormone benefits healthy ageing, as well as how deficits in Klotho lead to age related diseases.
“We are conducting further research on the role of Klotho in ageing and longevity as part of ARK (Ageing Research at King’s) research initiatives.”
This is early days though as the study itself had a particularly small sample size (just 78 patients) and so cannot definitively show a casual relationship between Klotho and the development of kidney disease.
Coolest Science Photos Of The Decade
2015
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Martin Le-May
A baby weasel took the ride of a lifetime on the back of a green woodpecker in Hornchurch Country Park in East London. Photographer Martin Le-May just happened to be lucky enough to capture the moment on March 2, 2015.
2014
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NASA, ESA, H. Teplitz and M. Rafelski (IPAC/Caltech), A. Koekemoer (STScI), R. Windhorst (Arizona State University), and Z. Levay (STScI)
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope assembled a comprehensive picture of the evolving universe -- among the most colorful deep space images ever captured by the 25-year-old telescope. The image was released on June 3, 2014.
2013
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NASA
NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins snapped a selfie while completing a spacewalk outside of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station on Dec. 24, 2013.
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2012
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Hadoram Shirihai/Tubenoses project
A rare Mascarene petrel with an egg-shaped bulge in its middle. Photographed in 2012 by researchers near Reunion, an island off the coast of Madagascar, it was said to be the first to show a bird flying with a visible "baby bump."
2011
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Wikimedia Commons: Wtop.com
In 2011, a female Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, decided to pick up British wildlife photographer David Slater's camera and take a selfie.
2010
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NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
A stunning scanning electron micrograph of a human T lymphocyte (also called a T cell) from the immune system of a healthy donor, taken on May 24, 2010.
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2009
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Sung Hoon Kang, Joanna Aizenberg and Boaz Pokroy; Harvard University
An electron microscope photograph shows self-assembling hair-like polymers around a polystyrene sphere, about two micrometers in diameter. It won first place in the National Science Foundation's 2009 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge.
2008
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NASA
Hurricane Ike covers more than half of Cuba. It was taken by the Expedition 17 crew aboard the International Space Station from a vantage point of 220 miles above Earth, on September 9, 2008.
2007
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Gloria Kwon/NIKON Small World
A close-up look at a double transgenic mouse embryo, just 18.5 days old. The photo won first place in Nikon's 2007 Small World Photomicrography Competition.