Introduction Autosomal-Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary renal disease, responsible for 8% to 10% of the cases of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in Western countries. The disease is characterized by the progressive development of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney. The renal cysts originate from the epithelia of the nephrons and are lined by a single layer of cells that have a higher rate of cellular growth and proliferation. At comparable levels of blood pressure control and proteinuria, patients with ADPKD have faster decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than those with other renal diseases and do not seem to benefit to the same extent of ACE inhibitor therapy. Thus, renoprotective interventions in ADPKD - in addition to achieve maximal reduction of arterial blood pressure and proteinuria and to limit the effects of additional potential promoters of disease progression such as dyslipidemia, chronic hyperglycemia or smoking - should also be specifically aimed to correct the dysregulation of epithelial cell growth, secretion, and matrix interactions characteristic of the disease.