UKRO – University Kidney Research Organization
Together We Build a Kidney
We’re excited to announce that UKRO will be sponsoring a rider on the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade float. Next year’s parade theme, “Just Imagine…” pairs perfectly with the Donate Life float theme of “…One More Day,” envisioning a dream day when past moments are recaptured and new memories are made – “when donor families … Continue reading UKRO to Sponsor Rider on 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade Float
Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have discovered that special cells found in bone marrow and blood do a better job of promoting blood vessel growth in nocturnal home hemodialysis patients than in patients undergoing dialysis in a hospital setting. Longer and more frequent nightly dialysis sessions greatly reduce the amount of toxins in … Continue reading Cells That Help Protect Blood Vessels Work Better in Patients on Home Dialysis
Yale School of Medicine researchers have discovered that the PKD1 gene not only causes cysts to grow on the kidneys, but on the liver as well. Their studies of families with liver-only polycystic disease led them to explore the relationship between that liver condition and the most common form of Polycystic Kidney Disease, ADPKD. They … Continue reading PKD1 Gene Controls Development of Many Forms of Polycystic Disease
Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have linked elevated levels of a hormone known as FGF23 to an increased risk of kidney failure and death in patients with early stages of chronic kidney disease. FGF23 regulates phosphorus, which is vital to bone health and cellular function, but potentially harmful to patients … Continue reading Researchers Identify Hormone Linked to Progressive Kidney Failure
Researchers from the University of Freiberg in Germany have identified a metabolic enzyme called mTOR as a target for preventing diabetic kidney disease. They showed that while mTOR is important to early glomerular development, it becomes overactive in diabetics, causing damage to the filtering units of the kidney. Using a mouse model, the scientists inhibited … Continue reading mTOR Enzyme May be Target for Preventing Diabetic Kidney Disease
Researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have found that Aurora A kinase, an enzyme linked to tumor growth in cancer, may contribute to polycystic kidney disease. They discovered that Aurora A is over-expressed in the cells lining PKD cysts. It likely contributes to the disease by disrupting the activity of polycystin-2, a protein … Continue reading Aurora A May Contribute to Polycystic Kidney Disease