KLF2 and diabetic kidney disease: A study has shown that endothelial cell-specific KLF2 heterozygous knockout mice (DKD mice model by STZ injection) developed more albuminuria than the wild type mice; in addition, the expression of podocyte-specific genes(nephrin, synaptopodin, podocin, and podocalyxin) were also down-regulated, together with more podocyte damage, suggesting a potential crosstalk between GECs and podocytes [100].