The role of necrotic cell death in the pathogenesis of immune mediated nephropathies

•The mechanisms of necrotic cell death are discussed.•The pathogenesis of glomerulonephritides is discussed.•The interplay between renal inflammatory triggers and necrotic cell death are discussed.•The potential benefits of inhibiting necrosis are proposed.

Necrosis, an inflammatory form of cell death, has been considered to be an accidental death and/or cell death due to injury. However, the literature in the last decade has established that necrosis is a regulated form of cell death, and that inhibition of specific molecular pathways leading to necrosis can block it and reduce inflammation. Since necrotic lesions are observed in several immune mediated human pathologies, in this review we will discuss the impact that this form of programmed cellular demise has in the pathology of immune mediated nephropathies.