John T. Milliken Department of Medicine
Renal fibrosis, a hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD), is characterized by the accumulation of excess extracellular matrix proteins secreted by myofibroblasts. Unfortunately, there are no anti-fibrotic drugs approved for treatment of CKD. A new study headed by researchers in the Humphreys Laboratory in the Division of Nephrology at Washington University, however, is laying the […]
Assistant Professor of Medicine Moe Mahjoub, PhD, discovered that, yes, there can be “too much of a good thing.” Dr. Mahjoub’s new study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, found that formation of excess centrosomes is detrimental to renal development and is sufficient to trigger cyst formation independently of cystic […]
The spectrum of congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract, known as CAKUT, represents more than 20% of all birth defects and constitutes the largest cause of kidney failure in children. A new study by Dr. Masato Hoshi, a Senior Scientist in the laboratory of Associate Professor of Medicine, Sanjay Jain, Division of Nephrology, […]
Alport syndrome is an inherited disease characterized by progressive loss of kidney function, hearing loss, and eye abnormalities. The syndrome is caused by genetic mutations that affect expression and/or function of the type IV collagen family protein isoforms COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5, which help form the glomerular basement membranes. The onset, symptoms, progression, and severity […]
Professor of Medicine Jeff Miner, PhD, FASN, Division of Nephrology, is co-author of a recent study in Nature Medicine that proves that certain variants of the APOL1 gene cause kidney disease. For years, it has been known that African Americans have a 3-5-fold increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease […]