* Tel.: +1 617 432 5768. E-mail addresses: mrazzaque@hms.harvard.edu, razzaquems@yahoo.com. Department of Developmental Biology, Research and Education Building, Room # 304, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 190 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA 1568-1637/$ – see front matter # 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2007.06.001 1. Ageing and kidney Abstract Received 14 May 2007; received in revised form 25 June 2007; accepted 26 June 2007