Several landmark papers have shown efficacy of BMP7 treatment in a wide range of experimental models of renal disease including diabetic nephropathy, obstructive uropathy, nephron loss and ischemic injury (Vukicevic et al. 1998; Hruska et al. 2000; Morrissey et al. 2002; Wang et al. 2003; Zeisberg et al. 2003; Dube et al. 2004; Sugimoto et al. 2007), and a BMP-mimetic (THR-185) is under study in a phase II clinical trial (Clinicaltrial.gov number NCT01830920). This evidence concerns the gene BMP7 and diabetic kidney disease.