For better or worse: a niche for Notch in parietal epithelial cell activation.

Dysfunction and loss of podocytes (glomerular epithelial cells) are the hallmarks of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In recent years, activation and proliferation of parietal epithelial cells (PECs) have been increasingly appreciated in FSGS. The functional role of PECs in FSGS is still a hotly debated issue. Ueno et al. report that Notch signaling plays a role in orchestrating PEC phenotypic changes in FSGS.