A new study from University of Michigan reveals an association between air pollution and higher rates of chronic kidney disease. Using 2010 Medicare data from 1.1 million people, the researchers examined CKD prevalence by county and found greater incidence of the disease even with relatively low pollution levels in the range of 8.4 micrograms per … Continue reading Air Pollution Associated with Higher Rates of Chronic Kidney Disease
Rare Stem Cells Could Explain Origin of Fibrosis
A team of researchers from Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital has uncovered a rare stem cell population that contributes to fibrosis, the buildup of scar tissue which causes inflammation, organ damage, and often organ failure. Found outside the blood vessels and within organ tissue, these stem cells expand and become myofibroblasts … Continue reading Rare Stem Cells Could Explain Origin of Fibrosis
Dr. Alicia McDonough Presentation on Salt Transporters During Hypertension
Dr. Alicia McDonough, Professor of Cell and Neurobiology at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, recently delivered an invited lecture at the ISN Nexus Symposium in Brisbane, Australia. For an interesting look at the kidney and hypertension, watch her presentation, “Salt transporters in the kidney during hypertension: matching Na output to intake.”
Neo-Kidney Augment Phase 1 Trials Under Way
Phase 1 trials of the Neo-Kidney Augment, a novel, personalized treatment designed to enhance or replace kidney function in patients nearing renal failure, are under way in Sweden and the United States. Developed by regenerative medicine company Tengion, the Neo-Kidney Augment uses tubular epithelial cells taken from a biopsy of a patient’s diseased kidney. Over … Continue reading Neo-Kidney Augment Phase 1 Trials Under Way
Plant Extract as Treatment to Stop Lupus and Block Kidney Damage
University of Houston researchers have found that the experimental compound CDDO (also known as bardoxolone methyl) suppresses the progression of lupus in mice, including the immune system’s attack on the kidneys. Though CDDO is synthetic, it’s derived from oleanolic acid, a natural product found in many plants and foods including olive oil, garlic, and cloves. … Continue reading Plant Extract as Treatment to Stop Lupus and Block Kidney Damage
Blood Test Predicts Tissue Injury in Kidney Transplant Patients with FSGS
An international research team from UC San Francisco, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Necker Hospital in Paris has devised a blood test to identify FSGS patients at risk of repeat kidney injury following transplantation. In developing the blood panel, nicknamed FAST (FSGS Antibody Screen For Transplant), they also uncovered a potential drug target … Continue reading Blood Test Predicts Tissue Injury in Kidney Transplant Patients with FSGS