Receptor Protein Key in Kidney Filtration Breakdown

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified a new molecular pathway that appears to be involved in urinary protein loss (proteinuria). This early-stage kidney disease affects 100 million people around the world and is caused by a breakdown in the kidney’s filtering structures. Blocking this pathway could be a treatment for the condition and might significantly slow the process of kidney failure. The research team’s findings will appear in Nature Medicine and have been released online.

“We’ve identified a mechanism that underlies common forms of urinary protein loss and have data showing that it is operative in humans and in animal models of proteinuria,” says Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, director of the Program in Glomerular Disease at the MGH Renal Division, the study’s senior author.

“Targeting this mechanism with antibodies or small molecule compounds can prevent or decrease proteinuria in animals, which may represent a novel therapy for kidney diseases such as diabetic nephropathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis,” adds Changli Wei, MD, PhD, first author of the article.

Release date: December 19, 2007
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital