Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that high levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors found in the blood of patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes may predict incidence of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure years later. TNF proteins can trigger inflammation, which has been linked to … Continue reading TNF Proteins May Warn of Diabetic Kidney Disease Risk
Hydrogen Sulfide Reduces Glucose-Induced Injury in Kidney Cells
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio may have discovered an important medical use for hydrogen sulfide, the toxic, colorless gas that smells of rotten eggs. Their experiment focused on kidney cells exposed to high glucose levels. In diabetes patients, prolonged, uncontrolled blood glucose levels can lead to scarring of the … Continue reading Hydrogen Sulfide Reduces Glucose-Induced Injury in Kidney Cells
Regeneration of Podocyte Cells Offers Hope for Kidney Patients
Researchers at Stanford School of Medicine have discovered that the podocyte cells that make up the kidney filter membrane may be able to regenerate during normal kidney function. Scientists have long believed that these cells, which suffer damage in more than 90 percent of chronic kidney diseases, such as FSGS and diabetic nephropathy, could not … Continue reading Regeneration of Podocyte Cells Offers Hope for Kidney Patients
mTOR Enzyme May be Target for Preventing Diabetic Kidney Disease
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
High Fat, Low Carb Diet Improves Kidney Disease in Diabetic Mice
Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have found that a special diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates, known as the ketogenic diet, can reverse kidney damage in mice with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The 8-week diet completely reversed albuminuria and partially reversed glomerular sclerosis. During the study, the research team discovered … Continue reading High Fat, Low Carb Diet Improves Kidney Disease in Diabetic Mice
New Understanding of Kidney Gene Changes in Diabetic Nephropathy
Researchers at the University of Louisville have used a mouse model to show how human kidney genes change as diabetic nephropathy progresses. By studying gene expression, they discovered that inflammatory genes underwent the most changes. Paul Epstein, Ph.D., acting director of the Kosair Children’s Hospital Research Institute said, “In future studies, we can use this … Continue reading New Understanding of Kidney Gene Changes in Diabetic Nephropathy