Purpose of review: Advances in mouse genetics have made this species particularly useful as a model for human disease. This review will summarize recent advances regarding the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy discovered in mice.
Recent findings: Diabetic nephropathy has been characterized in novel genetic models of murine diabetes including the Akita, Ove26, and ICER-Igamma mice. Mutagenesis resources targeting every gene of the genome and the importance of inbred genetic background are discussed.
Summary: Through the use of these resources mouse models should provide new insight into the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, and complement human studies and validate the identity of candidate genes contributing to diabetic nephropathy.