The image shows a coloured scanning electron micrograph of tissue from a healthy kidney, showing the glomerular structure. The surface of a glomerulus is encased in podocyte cells (shown in blue and green). In the current issue of Diabetologia (52: 2445-2454), Sayyed et al. report that CXCL12, a homeostatic chemokine, is predominantly produced by podocytes and contributes to the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy.
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Cover credit: STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY