The Rise of Renal Pathology in Nephrology: Structure Illuminates Function

This review chronicles historical landmarks in the rise of renal pathology from the mid-20th century. Major technical advances followed the advent of percutaneous kidney biopsy in 1951, including applications of thin serial sections, special stains, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. Inspired by the 1961 Ciba Symposium, renal pathologists and nephrologists collaborated on detailed clinical-pathologic studies, and the publication of Robert Heptinstall's textbook in 1966 offered the first modern synthesis of these emerging entities. By 2000, refinements in morphology-based diagnosis had outstripped knowledge of pathogenesis. The last decade has witnessed an explosion of new insights into the cause of kidney disease fueled by advances in molecular diagnostics, such as genetic screening, transcriptomics, and proteomics. We are entering an era of personalized medicine in which more precise mechanism-based diagnosis is fostering the design of targeted therapies in the individual patient. Only the continued partnering of pathologists and nephrologists can meet the challenge of integrating molecular diagnostics into pathogenesis-based therapy.