Researchers from the University of Manchester and University College London believe targeting the small blood vessels surrounding renal cysts could lead to a new treatment for polycystic kidney disease. They uncovered important abnormalities in the network of these blood vessels in mouse models of the most common form of PKD (ADPKD) and the rare form of the disease (ARPKD). ADPKD mice treated with the growth factor VEGFC showed improvements to blood vessels and kidney function. ARPKD mice experienced some improvement as well, resulting in a “modest but significant increase in lifespan.”
Source:
New Treatment for Polycystic Kidney Disease, MedicalXpress, June 3, 2015