The roles of CD11c-expressing myeloid cells during AKI are complex and context-specific as CD11c+ myeloid cells promote cyst formation in a cystic disease model (Zimmerman et al., 2019); whereas deletion of CD11c+ cells aggravates cisplatin- and sepsis-induced AKI (Tadagavadi and Reeves, 2010; Privratsky et al., 2023), and impairs the healing process and promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine generation following ischemic AKI (Kim et al., 2010; Lu et al., 2012). The gene discussed is ITGAX; the disease is acute kidney injury.