Kidney Research UK

Dr Rouvick Gama from King’s College London is investigating the most accurate way to measure kidney function in people from different ethnicities, and whether community finger-prick kidney function testing can improve early diagnosis and monitoring of chronic kidney disease. His work recently helped plug urgent gaps in blood testing after patients were left in need when cyber attacks knocked out pathology services in London hospitals in June 2024. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3SQuHtg [Image description: Dr Rouvick Gama is sitting at an office desk with his finger prick machine in front of him. He is looking at the camera and smiling. He is wearing a smart shirt, trousers, glasses, and has a red ID badge around his neck. On the shelf above him are empty sample bottles and on the desk is his computer and keyboard.]

Read how Dr Thomas McDonnell used the NURTuRE resource to investigate how underlying causes of chronic kidney disease affect disease progression and found that some medical tests are more accurate in the prediction of kidney failure than others. 👇 https://bit.ly/3ZH5Z0t

Parents to two-year-old Noah, Cloe and Brett, have been filled with anxiety about his future since doctors discovered he had kidney disease when he was less than a month old. Before he was even born, they identified a cyst affecting his kidneys. When he was just three-weeks-old, a scan revealed a type of chronic kidney disease called bilateral cystic renal dysplasia. This has caused Noah to have a non-functioning right kidney and a left kidney which is dilated. Doctors have been unable to predict exactly when Noah’s kidneys will fail, but they know his kidney function is declining and he will need a transplant at some point in his childhood. This has been the worst year of their lives, leaving Cloe and Brett feeling helpless. Our research can help save childhoods from being lost to kidney disease. Read the full story and donate to our appeal today: https://bit.ly/3ZDGttc [Image description: image 1: Noah sitting in a green wheelbarrow smiling and laughing. He is in a blue padded jacket that has Micky Mouse faces all over it and Micky ears on the hood. He is in leggings and dinosaur printed wellies. Image 2: Noah and one of his sisters smiling outside in front of a green bush. They are in summer clothes. The older sister is crouched down to be the same size as Noah. Image 3: Noah, his two sisters and dad smiling for a group photo. They are outside surrounded by grass and big trees. The two sisters are sitting on the dad’s lap, who is perched on a rock. To the right is Noah in his pram with a blanket covering his body. Image 4: Noah smiling in a blow-up ball pit. He is in a black hoodie and beige trousers. The balls are gold and silver.]

Scientists have known for some time that certain diseases, including kidney stones, are more frequent in people who have been on space missions. The higher levels of radiation found outside the earth’s protective atmosphere and lack of gravity may be involved. As well as helping future astronauts, the study helped provide insights for regular kidney patients. The researchers looked at the impact of space-conditions on kidney structure and function. Results showed changes to the kidney tubules (responsible for maintaining healthy levels of calcium and salt), loss of kidney volume and permanent scarring. Looking at changes to the kidneys at the cellular level may open the door for new preventative measures and treatment approaches. This is a fantastic image showing two quarter kidneys. On the left is a kidney from ground control and on the right is one that had been to the space station for a month. Both kidneys were made totally transparent (optical clearing) and imaged in 3D. Read more about the research here: https://bit.ly/4eWhasL [Image description: A transparent, 3D image of two kidneys with the arteries and veins highlighted. Both images are a quarter of a kidney and have a blend of purple, red and orange highlighting the impact of space on the kidneys. The kidney on the right represents the one that was on the space station for a month and appears enlarged and damaged.]

At five-years-old, Scarlett was diagnosed with kidney disease, and at nine-years-old, she was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “Scarlett’s kidney disease is one of those things you don’t expect to have to deal with in life. Both this disease and her type 1 diabetes have lifelong implications. “Scarlett’s kidney function has fallen to 13% and she will shortly need dialysis or a transplant to keep her alive. “Both Scarlett’s mum and I are incompatible to donate to Scarlett directly, but I have been approved to donate via the shared scheme, through which Scarlett would receive a kidney from somebody else. “Whatever happens, we know Scarlett will have chronic kidney disease for life. Even after a transplant, she will likely need another in her lifetime. Those worries will always be in the back of our minds. “Finding solutions through research might mean that Scarlett and other kidney patients receive revolutionary treatments in the future. That’s our wish.” Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3ZzmV93

A new treatment to treat anaemia in dialysis patients has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) after input from people with kidney disease and clinical experts into the decision-making process. The new drug, called vadadustat, increases the treatment options available for people receiving dialysis with anaemia. Read more on this ground-breaking news here: https://bit.ly/41scuqA

What are kidney stones and how to treat them? Head to the website for more information and treatment advice. 👇 https://bit.ly/4fgZ5VE

New results from Dr Rebecca Preston and the team from The University of Manchester 🎉 The team identified a link between the body clock and activity of genes in the glomerulus (the filtering unit of the kidney), and podocytes (a type of cell in the glomerulus). Rebecca’s work may lead to new ways to manage glomerular diseases in the future and has improved our understanding of why some patients do not respond well to certain treatments. “We have found a mechanism which links the body clock to treatment response in the kidney. This allows us to test the possibility of targeting this pathway to help restore the glomerular filters in some types of kidney disease." Dr Rebecca Preston Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3Vw61qO

We're very excited to attend the 2025 Cardio-renal-metabolic UK (CVRMUK) annual meeting on Tuesday 25 March. Be sure to come and say hi to us.

The team at Make Your Mark are today launching the UK Living Kidney Donation Buddy Support Service! The service allows anyone interested in learning more about living kidney donation to speak with someone with lived experience. Buddies can be chosen based on the categories that are important to you, including age, location, and religious beliefs. Visit the website to learn more about requesting a Buddy: https://bit.ly/3ZCJYjE [Image description: John is laughing whilst at a professional photoshoot. He is wearing a brown jumper, white t-shirt, dark jeans and glasses. This photoshoot is part of the Robert Dangoor Partnership.]