life span

rejuvenation research

ageing

sections article

kidney fibrosis

Frontiers in Endocrinology

Klotho has been recognised as a gene involved in the ageing process in mammals for over thirty years, where it regulates phosphate homeostasis and the activity of members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. The α -Klotho protein is the receptor for Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF23), regulating phosphate homeostasis and vitamin D metabolism. Phosphate toxicity is a hallmark of mammalian ageing and correlates with diminution of Klotho levels with increasing age. As such, modulation of Klotho activity is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in the diseasome of ageing; in particular for chronic kidney disease (CKD), where Klotho has been implicated directly in the pathophysiology. A range of senotherapeutic strategies have been developed to directly or indirectly influence Klotho expression, with varying degrees of success. These include administration of exogenous Klotho, synthetic and natural Klotho agonists and indirect approaches, via modulation of the foodome and the gut microbiota. All these approaches have significant potential to mitigate loss of physiological function and resilience accompanying old age and to improve outcomes within the diseasome of ageing.

Klotho, Aging, and the Failing Kidney