UNH Research: More Than One Way for Animals to Survive Climate Change

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire found that to live in hotter more desert-like surroundings, and exist without water, there is more than one genetic mechanism allowing animals to adapt. This is important not only for their survival but may also provide important biomedical groundwork to develop gene therapies to treat human dehydration related illnesses, like kidney disease.

Surprise Discovery Shows Chronic Heart Dysfunction Protects against Acute Kidney Injury

Article title: Activation of hypoxia-sensing pathways promotes renal ischemic preconditioning following myocardial infarction Authors: Andrew S. Terker, Kensuke Sasaki, Juan Pablo Arroyo, Aolei Niu, Suwan Wang, Xiaofeng Fan, Yahua Zhang, Sochinwechi Nwosisi, Ming-Zhi Zhang, Raymond C. Harris From the authors:…

Study Explores Effects of Exercise on Heart, Lung and Metabolic Physiology during Dialysis

Article title: Cardiopulmonary and metabolic physiology during hemodialysis and inter-/intra-dialytic exercise Authors: Scott McGuire, Elizabeth Jane Horton, Derek Renshaw, Klaris Chan, Nithya Krishnan, Gordon McGregor From the authors: “This study is the first to directly compare cardiopulmonary and metabolic physiology during…

Newly Identified Pathway, Biomarkers May Be Tools to Prevent Kidney Injury-induced Lung Damage

Article title: Altered lung metabolism and mitochondrial DAMPs in lung injury due to acute kidney injury Authors: Mark Hepokoski, Jing Wang, Kefeng Li, Ying Li, Purva Gupta, Tina Mai, Alex Moshensky, Mona Alotaibi, Laura E. Crotty Alexander, Atul Malhotra, Prabhleen Singh…

Nicotine Damages Kidney Filters in Smokers with Diabetes

Article title: Nicotine, smoking, podocytes and diabetic nephropathy Authors: Edgar A. Jaimes, Ming-Sheng Zhou, Mohammed Siddiqui, Gabriel Rezonzew, Runxia Tian, Surya V. Seshan, Alecia N Muwonge, Nicholas J. Wong, Evren U. Azeloglu, Alessia Fornoni, Sandra Merscher, Leopoldo Raij From the authors:…

Shift Work Disrupts Kidney Rhythms, Contributes to Kidney and Heart Disease

Article title: Environmental circadian disruption suppresses rhythms in kidney function and accelerates excretion of renal injury markers in urine of male hypertensive rats Authors: Atlantis M. Hill, G. Ryan Crislip, Adam Stowie, Ivory Ellis, Anne Ramsey, Oscar Castanon-Cervantes, Michelle L.…

Rethinking Race and Kidney Function

Removing race from clinical tools that calculate kidney function could have both advantages and disadvantages for Black patients.

Newly diagnosed patients and those whose kidney disease is reclassified as more severe would have greater access to kidney specialists, faster access to the kidney-transplant waitlist.

On the flipside, patients reclassified as having more severe kidney disease may become ineligible for heart, diabetes, pain control and cancer medications or may be given lower doses for these drugs.

A new kidney function score would also increase the number of Black individuals ineligible to donate a kidney, potentially exacerbating organ shortages for Black people.

Researchers caution that clinicians and policy makers must anticipate both the benefits and downsides of changes to the current formula to ensure that Black patients are not disadvantaged, and
health disparities are not exacerbated.

Scientists say the analysis should motivate researchers and cl

Harrington Discovery Institute Announces Award Recipients in New UK Rare Disease Program

Announcement of the 2021 Harrington UK Rare Disease Scholar Award recipients, their organizations and fields of research:

Pietro Fratta, MD, PhD – University College London
Gene Therapy for Kennedy’s Disease, a rare neuromuscular disease

Angela Russell, DPhil – University of Oxford
New Drugs for the Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Helen Waller-Evans, DPhil – Cardiff University
Novel Inhibitors to Treat Multiple Lysomal Storage Disorders, causes of widespread organ damage

Wyatt Yue, PhD – University of Oxford
Inhibitors of Primary Hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney failure

Haiyan Zhou, MD, PhD – University College London
Novel Therapy for SPTLC1-Related Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy, a cause of shooting pain

Genetic Testing for Kidney Diseases in Embryos from In Vitro Fertilization

• A recent analysis examines data from over the past 25 years concerning couples’ use of genetic testing for kidney diseases in embryos from in vitro fertilization.
• The analysis provides the first report on the types of genetic kidney diseases tested in this way, how often these tests result in live births of unaffected children, and what reasons couples cite for not undergoing testing.

Sacubitril and Valsartan Combination Treatment May Reduce Hypertensive Kidney Disease

Article title: Differential effects of low-dose sacubitril and/or valsartan on renal disease in salt-sensitive hypertension Authors: Iuliia Polina, Mark Domondon, Rebecca Fox, Anastasia V. Sudarikova, Miguel Troncoso, Valeriia Y. Vasileva, Yuliia Kashyrina, Monika Beck Gooz, Ryan S. Schibalski, Kristine Y.…

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every Tuesday throughout the duration of the outbreak.

ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS SUPPORTS INTRODUCTION OF MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY LEGISLATION IN CONGRESS

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics supports U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.) and Rep. Pete King’s (N.Y.) commitment to America’s health by introducing the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020. The bill would provide coverage for Medicare beneficiaries to obtain treatment from registered dietitian nutritionists and other qualified nutrition experts for many common and costly chronic diseases.

Protease-activated Receptor Blockage May Be Treatment Option for Diabetes-related Kidney Disease

Article title: Dual blockade of protease-activated receptor 1 and 2 additively ameliorates diabetic kidney disease Authors: Shohei Mitsui, Yuji Oe, Akiyo Sekimoto, Emiko Sato, Yamato Hashizume, Shu Yamakage, Satoshi Kumakura, Hiroshi Sato, Sadayoshi Ito, Nobuyuki Takahashi From the authors: “These findings suggest that…

Impaired Blood Clotting May Explain Higher COVID-19 Risk

A new review suggests that higher-than-normal levels of an enzyme involved in blood clot prevention may be a common risk factor for developing COVID-19—a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2—in some populations. The review is published in Physiological Reviews.

Researchers Identify Mechanism to Explain Role of Certain Gene Mutations in Kidney Disease

Researchers from the Center for Precision Disease Modeling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have uncovered a mechanism that appears to explain how certain genetic mutations give rise to a rare genetic kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome. Using a drosophila (fruit fly) model, they found mutations in genes that code for certain proteins lead to a disruption of the recycling of the cell membrane.

Coronavirus’ Binding Action May Also Cause Kidney Damage and Infertility; Researchers Consider Potential Treatment Paths

Article title: COVID-19 infection and mortality – A physiologist’s perspective enlightening clinical features and plausible interventional strategies Authors: Zaid A. Abassi, Karl Skorecki, Samuel Noam Heyman, Safa Kinaneh, Zaher Armaly From the authors: “Cleavage of the S-glycoprotein by furin and its…

GW Experts Available to Speak During Kidney Health Month

WASHINGTON (Mar. 4, 2020) – Approximately 37 million American adults have chronic kidney disease and many others are at increased risk, according to the National Kidney Foundation. March is Kidney Health Month and the George Washington University (GW) School of…

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Stroke-Prevention Among Patients Undergoing Dialysis

• Among patients with kidney failure and atrial fibrillation, Black, Hispanic White, and Asian patients filled prescriptions of stroke-preventive medications less often than non-Hispanic White patients, and they were more likely to experience stroke.
• Equalizing the distribution of these medications would prevent 7%–12% of the stroke disparity among racial/ethnic minorities.

Choosing Common Pain Relievers: It’s Complicated

About 29 million Americans use over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat pain. Every year in the U.S., NSAID use is attributed to approximately 100,000 hospitalizations and 17,000 deaths. All of these drugs have benefits and risks, but deciding which one to use is complicated for health care providers and their patients. To assist in clinical decision-making, researchers address cardiovascular risks and beyond, which include gastrointestinal and kidney side effects of pain relievers.

Study Examines Quality of Life in Patients with Kidney Disease in India

• Between 15 and 22 out of every 100 patients in India with mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease had significant impairment in at least 1 of the 5 domains of quality of life.
• Quality of life scores were associated with sociodemographic factors (lower income, poor education, and female gender), with almost no major impact of medical- or disease-related variables.