An international team of researchers including scientists from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Zurich have shown that tolvaptan, a drug already used to treat low blood sodium levels in patients with heart failure and liver problems, may be a promising new treatment for PKD. The findings are the culmination of 15 years of … Continue reading Tolvaptan Slows Kidney Growth in PKD
New Version of the Drug Rapamycin May Be Future PKD Treatment
UC Santa Barbara researchers, in collaboration with the biotech firm, Endocyte, have put a new twist on a common drug, which could successfully treat PKD in the future. In earlier research, UCSB scientist Thomas Weimbs had identified the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin as a good candidate for PKD treatment. While rapamycin effectively stopped PKD progression in … Continue reading New Version of the Drug Rapamycin May Be Future PKD Treatment
Valen Keefer Launches Her New Blog: PKD Will Not Beat Me
Our spokesperson, Valen Keefer, continues to inspire the kidney disease and transplant community with her new blog for the PKD Foundation, PKD Will Not Beat Me. She’ll be sharing her story and fostering a positive space where people with PKD can come together to talk with each other, get information and lift each other’s spirits. … Continue reading Valen Keefer Launches Her New Blog: PKD Will Not Beat Me
PKD1 Gene Controls Development of Many Forms of Polycystic Disease
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
Aurora A May Contribute to Polycystic 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
Kidney Stem Cell Breakthrough Provides Tool for Further Research
Australian researchers have discovered how to turn specialized human kidney cells back into generalized cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. This type of cell reprogramming is a useful tool for studying genetic kidney diseases. The scientists hope to generate iPS cells from patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease and Alport syndrome; the … Continue reading Kidney Stem Cell Breakthrough Provides Tool for Further Research