Costimulation in progressive non-immune tubulointerstitial renal disease.

Funded Activity Summary

Current treatments for chronic kidney disease are non-specific and frequently ineffective. As a consequence, kidney failure progresses to the stage where patients require dialysis or transplantation to remain alive. Every year about 1700 Australians commence dialysis for this reason and many more die of kidney failure or its complications. This project will examine the role of costimulatory molecules in causing chronic kidney disease (CRD) to progress and their potential as targets for specific therapy to slow the progression of CRD. In chronic kidney diseases of all types, the kidney becomes infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The amount of inflammation has an important bearing on the severity of kidney failure and the rate at which kidney disease progresses. There are a range of different cells that invade the inflamed kidney, some may worsen disease while some may protect against it. Current treatments are non-selective and may, by suppressing inflammation, prevent both repair and protection. Costimulatory molecules have been shown to be important in the regulation of inflammatory cell activation in transplantation and some autoimmune diseases. We, and others, have evidence to suggest that costimulatory molecules may be pivotal to the development and progression of kidney inflammation in CRD as well. This project will use two robust animal models of human CRD to define the role of costimulatory molecules in progression of kidney disease. If, as our preliminary evidence suggests, costimulatory molecules are shown to alter disease progression, then they will provide excellent targets for new treatments. Eventually, treatment directed against costimulatory molecules may be used as more effective and safer therapy for human kidney disease.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2004

End Date: 01-01-2006

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $434,875.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Nephrology and Urology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Costimulatory molecules | Interstitial inflammatory cells | Nephrology | Proteinuria | Proteinuric renal disease | Renal failure | Renal interstitial scarring

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