New pathway to regulate special type of kidney cells or podocytes which play a major role in maintaining normal kidney function have been discovered by a team of researchers from Boston University together with Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) at Pfizer.
The findings, which appear in JCI Insight, may help identify a new drug target for chronic kidney diseases associated with podocyte loss.
Acute Renal Failure
Acute renal failure is the sudden cessation of the functioning of kidneys, that can be due to reduced renal blood flow, damage to renal tissues.
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‘Discovery of a new pathway to regulate kidney cells helps to target drugs for chronic kidney disease.’
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"These findings are important because podocyte damage or loss often lead to chronic kidney disease and eventually kidney failure," said corresponding author Weining Lu, MD, associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). "This study may one day impact patients with chronic kidney disease that often leads to kidney failure," he added.
Chronic kidney disease is one of the most common, non-communicable diseases responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 27 million people in the U.S. (13 percent of the population) and more than 500 million people worldwide suffer from this condition. A significant proportion of patients with chronic kidney disease will eventually develop kidney failure and will need dialysis or kidney transplantation for survival.
![Kidney Failure Risk in Pediatric Diabetic Patients Revealed Through Simple Blood Test]( "Kidney Failure Risk in Pediatric Diabetic Patients Revealed Through Simple Blood Test")
A simple yet innovative blood test detects protein in the blood of pediatric diabetic patients at a risk of developing kidney disease.
Researchers first identified several novel molecular components in a signaling pathway called ROBO2 in the podocyte. They then performed biochemical experiments and found that increased ROBO2 signaling activity caused more podocyte loss in cell culture plates. These tests were further validated in experiments comparing models with the ROBO2 gene to those without the ROBO2 gene. The model without the ROBO2 gene retained more podocytes, while more podocytes were lost in the model with the ROBO2 gene.
This is the first joint publication between BUSM/Boston Medical Center (BMC) and CTI, a unique model for academic-industry collaboration that is designed to bridge the gap between early scientific discoveries and its translation into new medicines.
"Dr. Lu's identification of the novel role of ROBO2 has provided a key insight into mechanisms that may underlie and be responsible for chronic kidney disease," said CTI's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Anthony J. Coyle. "As a result, BUSM/BMC and CTI are now working together to develop potential new medicines for chronic kidney disease."
"This joint publication demonstrates that an academic-industry collaborative model has the potential to translate breakthrough science into novel medicines and generate new scientific knowledge that will benefit society," explained Lu.
Source: Eurekalert
Kidney Failure Risk in Pediatric Diabetic Patients Revealed Through Simple Blood Test
A simple yet innovative blood test detects protein in the blood of pediatric diabetic patients at a risk of developing kidney disease.
Advertisement
Researchers first identified several novel molecular components in a signaling pathway called ROBO2 in the podocyte. They then performed biochemical experiments and found that increased ROBO2 signaling activity caused more podocyte loss in cell culture plates. These tests were further validated in experiments comparing models with the ROBO2 gene to those without the ROBO2 gene. The model without the ROBO2 gene retained more podocytes, while more podocytes were lost in the model with the ROBO2 gene.
This is the first joint publication between BUSM/Boston Medical Center (BMC) and CTI, a unique model for academic-industry collaboration that is designed to bridge the gap between early scientific discoveries and its translation into new medicines.
"Dr. Lu's identification of the novel role of ROBO2 has provided a key insight into mechanisms that may underlie and be responsible for chronic kidney disease," said CTI's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Anthony J. Coyle. "As a result, BUSM/BMC and CTI are now working together to develop potential new medicines for chronic kidney disease."
"This joint publication demonstrates that an academic-industry collaborative model has the potential to translate breakthrough science into novel medicines and generate new scientific knowledge that will benefit society," explained Lu.
Source: Eurekalert
Chronic Renal Failure
Chronic renal failure or chronic kidney disease is progressive loss in kidney function. The change is irreversible and is due to loss of nephrons of the kidney.
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 Quiz on KidneyThe kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, and are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine. Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood every minute, removing wastes and extra water to make urine. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through two thin tubes of muscle called ureters, one on each side of your bladder. The | Advertisement
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