Finding the best way to prevent kidney failure in diabetic kidney disease
Professor Simon Satchell from the University of Bristol has been awarded a £193,000 research project grant to develop new treatments for diabetic kidney disease (DKD), a condition that affects up to 45% of people with diabetes and can lead to kidney failure. His research focuses on protecting the kidney’s tiny filters (known as ‘glomeruli’), which normally stop important proteins leaking into the urine. The glycocalyx is a gel-like layer in the glomeruli that filters the blood. In diabetes, enzymes called metalloproteinases (MMPs) can damage the glycocalyx.
By identifying the specific enzyme responsible for this damage and using gene therapy to switch it off, the researchers hope to protect the glycocalyx and preserve kidney function.
*“Our recent research has revealed the important role of glycocalyx damage in kidney disease in diabetes. This award will enable us to build on this by discovering a way protect the glycocalyx. We hope that we will be able to use this as a treatment for kidney disease in people with diabetes to prevent kidney failure.” *Professor Simon Satchell.
Read more about the research