NNMT overexpression promotes tubular senescence and fibrosis in human chronic kidney disease (Nnmt overexpressing TEC cells) [Series_3]

Renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) are increasingly recognized as the central locus of chronic kidney disease and renal fibrosis. Here, we used conditionally immortalized TECs (expressing SV40 large T antigen at permissive conditions, 33°C with IFNγ, and behaving like normal primary cultures after 7 days in restrictive conditions, 37°C without IFNγ) and genetically overexpressed Nnmt (Nnmt-OE) by means of lentiviral transduction of a mock or Nnmt expression construct. In the TGFβ model mimicking the senescent and pro-fibrotic changes in TECs, Nnmt overexpression resulted in an aggravated phenotype.