UKRO – University Kidney Research Organization
Together We Build a Kidney
Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University have found that cytokine IL-17A, which promotes inflammation and contributes to autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s, plays both a harmful and protective role in diabetic kidney disease. They began their studies intending to explore just the harmful effects of IL-17A, but soon found that removing the … Continue reading Reversing Diabetic Kidney Damage with IL-17A
Scientists from Japan’s Kumamoto University have discovered a protein that puts the brakes on the progression of Alport syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disease that can affect children and young people and often leads to kidney failure. The protein, known as p53, is a tumor suppressor, already targeted by experimental cancer drugs. Using a mouse model … Continue reading Protein Could Prevent Kidney Failure in Alport Syndrome
A prospective cohort study from researchers at University Hospital of North Norway suggests that diabetic kidney damage caused by continually high blood sugar levels may begin during prediabetes, which is much earlier than previously thought. For more than five years, the study followed 1261 people without diabetes between the ages of 50 and 62. At the … Continue reading Diabetic Kidney Damage May Start During Prediabetes
Cocoa flavanols, the plant-based nutrients found in cocoa beans, could be the key to protecting kidney patients’ hearts, according to a new study from Germany’s University Hospital Essen. Dialysis patients in the study drank beverages containing 900 mg of cocoa flavanols daily for 30 days. Researchers saw impressive results from the flavanol-filled drink, including better … Continue reading Cocoa Flavanols Could Protect Kidney Patients’ Hearts
An exciting stem cell discovery from researchers at University of Virginia Medical School brings scientists one step closer to growing kidneys in the lab, complete with functioning vasculature. The UVA investigators not only identified the stem cells that produce blood vessels in the kidney, they also found that blood forms along with the vessels. Their … Continue reading Stem Cells That Form Kidney Blood Vessels Identified
Initial results from the landmark NIH SPRINT study published in September of this year reveal that lowering systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) could reduce cardiovascular complications and save the lives of high-risk, older adults. Beginning in 2009, the trial tracked a diverse group of more than 9,300 hypertensive adults, … Continue reading Lower Blood Pressure Target May Save Lives