High levels of constitutive autophagy have been demonstrated in podocytes under basal conditions, and podocyte-specific deletion of autophagy-related 5 (Atg5) resulted in podocyte loss and late-onset glomerulosclerosis in aging mice31, highlighting the importance of autophagy in the maintenance of the function and integrity of podocytes. Here, ATG5 is linked to glomerulosclerosis.