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
Milestone Reached in Work to Build Replacement Kidneys in the Lab
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are advancing the field of regenerative medicine with a new method to keep blood vessels open and viable in lab-built kidneys. Experimenting with scaffolds created from pig kidneys, the scientists coated the scaffold vessels with endothelial cells, using an antibody to facilitate cell adhesion. The treated vessels supported … Continue reading Milestone Reached in Work to Build Replacement Kidneys in the Lab
USC Researchers Honored For Work on Hypertension and Novel Imaging of Podocytes
We are happy to announce that USC researchers and members of UKRO’s Medical Scientific Advisory Board, Alicia McDonough, Ph.D. and Janos Peti-Peterdi, M.D., Ph.D. were recently honored for their exciting investigative work. Earlier this month, Dr. McDonough delivered the Seldin Award Lecture on “Intrarenal Mechanisms Controlling Potassium and Blood Pressure Homeostasis.” The Seldin Award Lecture … Continue reading USC Researchers Honored For Work on Hypertension and Novel Imaging of Podocytes
Mutations in Gene Essential for Cell Regulation Cause Kidney Cancer in Kids
Scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research in London have discovered that mutations in the CTR9 gene are responsible for Wilms tumor in some children with an inherited form of the kidney cancer. CTR9 is a component of the PAF1 protein complex, which plays a part in telling genes to shut on or off. The … Continue reading Mutations in Gene Essential for Cell Regulation Cause Kidney Cancer in Kids
Stem Cell Scientists Lay TRAP for Kidney Disease
Scientists from Dr. Andrew McMahon’s stem cell lab at USC have uncovered the cellular responses that occur within damaged kidneys by using a unique “TRAP” mouse model. Their research builds upon TRAP (translating ribosome affinity purification), a method used to tag ribosomes, molecular structures that contain RNA and are responsible for protein synthesis. The scientists … Continue reading Stem Cell Scientists Lay TRAP for Kidney Disease