UKRO – University Kidney Research Organization
Together We Build a Kidney
Hemodialysis patients are at high risk for sudden cardiac death, and they are at the highest risk during the first year of treatment. Given those grim facts, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine set out to discover whether heart-protective Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, walnuts and other foods, could be beneficial … Continue reading Fish Oil May Protect Dialysis Patients from Sudden Cardiac Death
Researchers from Australia’s Monash University have made an important discovery about the role of leukocytes, or white blood cells, in kidney inflammation. Leukocytes are immune system cells found throughout the body, where they defend against infectious disease; a high leukocyte count can be a marker of inflammation and disease. Prior to this study, the medical … Continue reading Researchers Discover Role of White Blood Cells in Kidney Inflammation
Researchers from Kyoto University have succeeded in growing human kidney tissue from induced pluripotent stem cells in the lab. The resulting embryological tissue, known as intermediate mesoderm tissue, has the potential to develop into cells of the adrenal and reproductive glands and the kidney. During their experiments, the scientists also grew part of a urinary … Continue reading Japanese Researchers Grow Kidney Tissue from Stem Cells
A new retrospective study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco highlights the alarming rise of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the United States. AKI is a sudden loss of kidney function caused by serious infections such as sepsis; complications after surgery, particularly cardiac surgery; a traumatic accident or exposure to harmful … Continue reading Acute Kidney Injury on the Rise in the U.S.
Researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada have discovered 29 proteins that are likely linked to the spread of kidney cancer. When kidney cancer spreads to other organs, it is very hard to treat and the survival rate five years after cancer metastasis is less than 10%. The findings should enable doctors to better … Continue reading Researchers Uncover Proteins Likely Linked to Kidney Cancer Spread
Scientists at Duke Cancer Institute have found that a blood test for LDH levels could help doctors prescribe the best treatment for patients with advanced kidney cancer. The common enzyme, LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), helps the body convert food to energy and is released when cells die or suffer injury. High LDH levels have been linked … Continue reading Blood Test for LDH Levels Could Guide Treatment of Kidney Cancer