Bioinformatic Resources for Diabetic Nephropathy
The number of individuals with diabetes is increasing worldwide and a large subset of those affected will develop diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, has serious health consequences for affected individuals, and represents a major monetary cost to healthcare providers. Technological and analytical developments have enabled large-scale, collaborative studies that are revealing risk factors associated with diabetic nephropathy. However, much of the inherited predisposition and biological mechanisms underpinning risk of this disease remain to be identified. Meta-analyses and integrated pathway studies are becoming an increasingly important part of research for diabetic nephropathy including, genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, proteomic research, clinical observations and the development of animal models. This report highlights current bioinformatic resources and standards of reporting to maximise interdisciplinary research for diabetic nephropathy. The identification of an -Omics profile that can lead to earlier diagnosis and / or offer improved clinical evaluation of individuals with diabetes would not only provide significant health benefits to affected individuals, but may also have major utility for the efficient use of healthcare resources.