Thyroid Hormone Beta Receptor Agonists For Treatment of Kidney Disease: A Promising Agent?

Chronic kidney disease is a common disorder affecting a significant portion of the adult population with high mortality and morbidity. Obesity and hyperlipidemia are prevalent in chronic kidney disease and they may trigger fat accumulation in renal parenchyma and eventually fatty kidney. Chronic kidney disease and fatty kidney are also strongly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Because they both lead to detrimental effects on organ function, they both need to be treated effectively to improve the outcome. Along with different emerging pharmacological treatment options, a novel drug group of thyroid hormone beta receptors agonists are shown to be potentially effective in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in various studies. Since both non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease share common pathophysiological mechanisms and thyroid hormone beta receptors is also abundantly expressed in renal tissue, thyroid hormone beta receptors agonists may be potentially used to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease.