Foundation Research News

Kidney ‘attack’ could help define acute kidney injury

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:04:00 GMT

May 15, 2012 – In a recently published Viewpoint in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Drs. Kellum, Bellomo and Ronco argued for increased public awareness of acute kidney injury (AKI) and the need for increased research.

AKI is not well known to clinicians and researchers and barely known by the public. KRESCENT New Investigator Dr. Jean-Philippe Lafrance (Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal) said “the incidence of AKI is between 1.8 to 5.2 per 1,000 population, which is similar to acute myocardial infection. Mortality associated with certain forms of AKI is higher than for acute myocardial infarction despite that supportive therapies, such as dialysis, are available.”

The authors argue that research funding needs to be directed to AKI and there is a need for a campaign to increase the general public’s awareness. Like heart attack, they suggest the introduction of the term ‘kidney attack’ to help the general public, and physicians, visualize what is happening during AKI.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is proud to support the training and research of AKI researchers through the KRESCENT Program.

Dr. Jean-Philippe Lafrance - Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montreal

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2007 – 2009
KRESCENT New Investigator Award 2010 – 2013

Article in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation: Incidence and outcomes of acute kidney injury in a referred chronic kidney disease cohort

Dr. Matthew James – University of Calgary

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2006 – 2009

Article in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: Weekend Hospital Admission, Acute Kidney Injury, and Mortality

Dr. Michael Walsh – McMaster University, Hamilton

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2006 – 2009
KRESCENT New Investigator Award 2011 – 2014

Article in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: Statin Use Associates with a Lower Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury after Major Elective Surgery

Dr. Michele Zappitelli – Montreal Children’s Hospital

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2005 – 2007
KRESCENT New Investigator Award 2008 – 2011
(co-funded with Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé)

Article in Critical Care Medicine: Protein and calorie prescription for children and young adults receiving continuous renal replacement therapy: a report from the Prospective Pediatric Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Registry Group.

New Research Initiative on Rare Kidney Disease Announced

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:14:00 GMT

March 1, 2012 - The Kidney Foundation of Canada is pleased to be partnering with the CIHR on an important new research initiative focused on rare diseases. “ The Fabry disease project is a translational research that could see new therapies becoming available sooner to patients in the clinical setting,” says Wim Wolfs, National Director of Research for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “The Kidney Foundation’s interest in supporting research in rare kidney diseases is further underscored by our launch, just last week, of a research competition specially focused on Alport Syndrome.”

Wim Wolfs, National Director of Research for The Kidney Foundation,
stands with Canadian rare disease research advocates.

For more information on the medical value of research on rare diseases, we recommend reading the following articles in the journal Nature:

"The Great Beyond"
"Rare diseases: Genomics, plain and simple"

Read the news release (pdf)

New Research Report on E. coli Early Protective Treatment

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:53:00 GMT

January 20, 2012 - A recently published study by Dr. Philip Marsden and colleagues, including KRESCENT Post Doctoral Fellow (2008 – 2011) Dr. Darren Yuen, in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) sheds new light on the relationship between harmful bacteria, like E. coli, and kidney failure.

Dr. William Clark, Scientific Co-Chair of The Kidney Foundation’s Research Council and lead investigator, Research and Operations of the Walkerton study (2002 – 2009) says, “Dr. Marsden's report is very exciting news and potentially of great value in both identifying and treating those who suffer blood vessel injury due to the E. coli toxin. Almost all of the serious long-term effects we detected and treated in the Walkerton study were due to blood vessel injury and the opportunity to identify those at risk and provide a potential early protective treatment is a very important step forward.”

The Kidney Foundation is proud to support excellent Canadian researchers such as Dr. Darren Yuen, through the KRESCENT Program.

For more information on the KRESCENT Program or The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s research initiatives, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research at (514) 531-2212 (cell) or by email at wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the research publication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (pdf)

View recent coverage of this publication in The Calgary Sun

Leading Pediatric Nephrologist Dr. Norman Rosenblum Awarded 2011 Medal for Research Excellence

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:51:00 GMT

November 11, 2011 – For his internationally recognized research in the area of pediatric nephrology, his outstanding role as a clinician scientist and his leadership in mentoring Canada’s next generation of kidney researchers, Dr. Norman Rosenblum has been awarded The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s 2011 Medal for Research Excellence. Each year, The Kidney Foundation presents The Medal for Research Excellence to a Canadian researcher whose work is deemed by peers as having improved the treatment and care of people living with kidney disease.

“Outstanding clinician scientists are able to identify problems in the field when working with patients and also have the skill set to address the issues in a research laboratory setting,” says Wim Wolfs, National Director of Research for The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “Dr. Rosenblum is without question an outstanding clinician scientist.”

Dr. Norman Rosenblum accepts the 2011 Medal for Research Excellence

Dr. Rosenblum’s research work is focused on studying malformations which occur during development of the kidney and urinary tract. Poorly understood, these abnormalities result in a whole family of diseases that are the leading cause of childhood renal failure. Yet, his laboratory has provided important new insights. Specifically, they have succeeded in genetically modifying the function of a number of critical protein pathways, which in turn affect the work of key cells. By manipulating the amount of intercellular communication or “signaling” in these pathways, his research team has generated mouse models that replicate human problems. The malformations appear in a number of ways, from anomalies in the number of kidney filters (nephrons) and the integrity of kidney tissue to the swelling of the kidney or urinary tract (a condition known as hydronephrosis). Investigating the roles of signaling pathways in their particular context during the actual process of kidney development is vital, providing unprecedented knowledge and understanding of the function of specific genes and the genesis of specific diseases. This can potentially lead to novel treatment of the disease itself and improved health for patients.

A patient-centered researcher, Dr. Rosenblum is also a much sought-after mentor. For the past 10 years he has been the Principal Investigator of an interdisciplinary program that trains clinician-scientists in the field of child health in Canada. The principles of the program, which links 17 universities across the country in 7 child health disciplines, have served as a model for others. “Dr. Rosenblum’s launching of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program was instrumental in helping to shape the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program founded by The Kidney Foundation and multiple partners in 2005,” says Dr. Kevin Burns, last year’s recipient of the Medal for Research Excellence and Program Director of the kidney-focused, researcher training program known as KRESCENT.

Kathryn Richardson, National President of The Kidney Foundation, was delighted to present Dr. Rosenblum with the Medal for Research Excellence. “Dr. Rosenblum was a member of the team when my son had a kidney transplant at 16 years of age. The operation went well, but we had several tense weeks afterwards as his body tried repeatedly to reject the kidney. Dr. Rosenblum took time to make a special visit to us, offering calm support and encouragement. I will never forget that moment.”

To learn more about Dr. Rosenblum’s work, his research teams and how the revolution in genetics has impacted kidney disease research, visit www.kidney.ca/researchexcellence.

Download the full press release

Nobel in Medicine Awarded for Immune System Discoveries

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:47:00 GMT

October 3, 2011 - Three scientists, including Canadian Dr. Ralph Steinman who passed away three days ago, have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discoveries relating to the immune system.

In 1973, Dr. Steinman discovered a new cell, the dendritic cell, which has the unique capacity to activate T-cells. These latter cells play an important role in adaptive immunity, when antibodies and killer cells fight infections; and help the immune system to mobilize its defences the next time it comes under a similar attack.

"Dr. Steinman’s work – and the recent recognition for it - speaks to the importance of funding innovative research and supporting researchers early in their career, roles which The Kidney Foundation undertakes with pride," says Dr. William Clark (Chair of the Foundation’s Research Council).

The Kidney Foundation of Canada has funded kidney research on the role of dendritic cells in transplantation and IgA Nephropathy. Examples included;

Dr. K. West at Dalhousie University
- Characterization of swine dendritic cell - human T cell interactions – 1999 – 2001
- The dendritic cell cytoskeleton and the immunological synapse – 2001 – 2003
- The immunological synapse between dendritic cells and CD8+ T cells – 2003 - 2005
- Dendritic cell Vav1 in allograft rejection – 2005 – 2007

Dr. R. Liwski at Dalhousie University
- Modification of mature dendritic function by lymph node stromal cells 2007 – 2009

Dr. J. Gommerman at University of Toronto
- Evaluating the relationship between gut immune cell homeostasis and pathogenic immune complex deposition in the kidney in mice over-expressing BAFF - 2008 - 2010

Link to Globe and Mail article "Canadian Nobel winner can keep prize, officials decide": http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-nobel-prize-winner-died-days-before-award-announcement/article2188491/

Link to video with Dr. Ralph Steinman on research funding:
http://www.globecampus.ca/videos/features/gairdner-awards-steinman/?from=2188491

Link to New York Times article "Canadian-Born Scientist Dies 3 Days Before Winning Nobel Prize in Medicine": http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/10/03/world/AP-Nobel-Medicine.html?hp

Link to Nature News article "Nobel announcement marred by winner's death":
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/111005/full/478013a.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20111006

Gut Microbes Linked to Kidney Disease

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:13:00 GMT

Researchers have uncovered a possible cause of an inflammatory kidney disease that can lead to kidney failure.

The team of researchers, co-led by Dr. Jeffrey Browning at Biogen Idec, Cambridge, and Prof. Jennifer Gommerman (Dept. of Immunology) at the University of Toronto in collaboration with Dr. Lea Novak and colleagues from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, has found that IgA nephropathy could be linked to an overzealous IgA response against micro-organisms that normally live in the gut.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, offer a new line of research into what may trigger the disease, which can lead to kidney failure and is the most common form of glomerulonephritis (inflammation of small blood vessels in the kidney) worldwide.

Individuals with IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, have kidneys that leak blood and sometimes protein into the urine. The condition is caused by the inappropriate accumulation of IgA, an antibody that helps rid the body of microbes, in the kidneys. However, it is not known what causes IgA to accumulate in the kidneys.

The research team found that in a model with over expression of a molecule called BAFF (also known as BLyS) develop IgA nephropathy in a manner that depends on the immune response to particular gut micro-organisms called commensal flora. If those micro-organisms are eliminated, many features of the disease disappear. In providing clues to the etiology of IgA nephropathy, the research may lead to insights on how to treat the disease.

The study was funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the National Institutes of Health.

View the article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation

First Dialysis Patients to Successfully Receive Lab Grown Vessels

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:54:00 GMT

July 5, 2011 - Dr. Todd McAllister recently presented cutting edge research showing that human blood vessels grown in a laboratory from donor skin cells can be successfully implanted into patients. Dr. McAllister and his team, which includes Canadian Dr. Nicolas L’Heureux (PhD Laval University, Quebec), showed that the patients who received implants did not develop immune reaction up to eight months after implementation. This research, highlighted in a webinar by the American Heart Association Emerging Science Serie, is the first step towards having a bank of blood vessels in various shapes and sizes that may address a costly and vexing problem in dialysis patients: the failure of blood vessels.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is a proud supporter of innovative science, and is currently funding research in the Design, fabrication and characterization of a nanotechnology based wearable artificial kidney led by Morteza Ahmadi, KRESCENT Allied Health Doctoral Award (funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada).

For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada Research Program, visit www.kidney.ca/research and www.krescent.ca.

Watch the webinar from The American Heart Association Emerging Science Series

Download the news release from The American Heart Association

Read the Globe and Mail article, Dialysis patients receive first blood vessels grown in a lab

View the Medical News article, Tissue-engineered blood vessels from donor skin cells successfully implanted in patients

Needed: Population-Wide Sodium Reduction to Prevent Blood Pressure Related Diseases such as Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

Thu, 26 May 2011 19:52:17 GMT

May 26, 2011 – In an article published recently in its journal Circulation, the American Heart Association (AHA) reiterated the importance of population-wide sodium reduction to help prevent blood pressure related diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure and kidney disease. There is a large body of evidence that links sodium intake with elevated blood pressure and individuals, healthcare providers, organizations, governments and industry are called on to address this major public health issue.

Dr. Joanne Kappel, nephrologist and chair of The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Public Policy Council, notes that sodium reduction is particularly important for people with kidney disease because it can "improve blood pressure, decrease the incidence of kidney stones, improve action from blood pressure medications and help reduce cramping/improve comfort for people on hemodialysis."

For more information on the AHA call to action on population-wide sodium reduction, view the article at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIR.0b013e31820d0793

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is proud to support the following research into hypertension or sodium-related kidney disease:

Role of epidermal growth factor ligands in microparticle signaling during hypertension,
Dylan Burger, KRESCENT Post Doctoral Fellowship 2009 – 2012.

KRESCENT Fellow proposes a new model to predict CKD progression

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:17:00 GMT

A study published in the April 11, 2011, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), by Dr. Navdeep Tangri and colleagues, proposes a new model to predict progression of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), one that is based on standard laboratory tests.

There are an estimated 2.6 million Canadians who have kidney disease, or at risk. This number can be considered too high to effectively monitor and treat using the currently accepted five stage, chronic kidney disease classification system. Dr. Tangri and his colleagues consider that a better prediction model for identifying those people at the highest risk of developing CKD would be a tremendous step forward for kidney patients, health care professionals and the Canadian health system.

The Kidney Foundation is proud to support excellent Canadian researchers such as Dr. Navdeep Tangri, through the KRESCENT program.

For more information on the KRESCENT Program or The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s research initiatives, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research at (514) 531-2212 (cell) or by email at wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in the Journal of the American Medical Association
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/15/1553.abstract

Survival in Pediatric Dialysis and Transplant Patients in Canada

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:28:00 GMT

The Pediatric Renal Outcomes Canada Group (PROCG), a group of Canadian nephrologists led by Dr. Susan Samuel from the University of Calgary, has published a study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN, March 2011), describing the long-term survival of children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the risk factors for death.

The PROCG studied data from a national organ failure registry and administrative data from Canada’s universal healthcare system for 843 ESRD patients, aged 0-18 years, in nine Canadian provinces from 1992 to 2007.

The researchers discovered that the most common cause for ESRD in pediatric patients was congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. The main causes of death were cardiac events, infections, cancer, social (drugs, alcohol, suicide, treatment refusal) and other (respiratory, gastrointestinal, strokes). The 5-year survival rate was 92% and 10-year survival rate was 86%.

The research team, however, did not find an improvement in survival for renal transplant patients over the course of the 15 year time period studied. They called for further studies in causes and mechanisms of death, threats to transplant function (such as the BK virus), and tailored immunosuppression therapy for pediatric patients.

“Even though we have made remarkable progress in the treatment of pediatric kidney disease, this study underscores that we still need to answer many more complex questions to ensure the best possible health outcomes,” says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Link to article: http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/early/2011/03/10/CJN.04920610.abstract

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is proud to support the following research into pediatric kidney disease:

Dr. Todd Alexander: Molecular Mechanisms Mediating Coordinated Proximal Tubular Sodium, Calcium, Bicarbonate and Water Absorption (KRESCENT New Investigator Award, 2009–2012) (Only available in English)
Dr. Françoise Le Deist: Nouveaux outils de pharmacodynamie dans le but d'optimiser la prescription d'immunosuppresseurs chez les enfants vivant avec un rein transplanté (Biomedical Research Grant, 2010–2012) (Only available in French)
Dr. David Nicholas: Examining transition from child to adult care in chronic kidney disease (Allied Health Research Grant, 2010–2012) (Only available in English)
Dr. Susan Samuel: Health care utilization during transition from childhood to adulthood in pediatric end-stage renal disease patients (Biomedical Research Grant, 2010–2012) (Only available in English)

Home-based peritoneal dialysis can be an effective option when a transplant fails

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:15:00 GMT

January 14, 2011 - The Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) published a study by Dr. Jeffrey Perl and colleagues reporting that patients returning to dialysis after kidney transplant failure did equally well on home-based peritoneal dialysis as on hemodialysis. The researchers studied over 2,000 adult Canadian patients who started dialyis after kidney transplant failure between January 1991 and December 2005.

Dr. Perl was funded by a Kidney Foundation of Canada Biomedical Fellowship (2008 – 2010) under the supervision of Dr. Vanita Jassal.

View the abstract in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology

Download the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) press release

View the article with François-René Dussault, a Peer Support Program Volunteer with The Kidney Foundation of Canada, in the Ottawa Citizen

Poor Response to Anti-Anemia Drug Predicts Higher Risk of Heart Disease or Death

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:28:00 GMT

January 7, 2011 - In late 2010, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that patients with diabetes, kidney disease and anemia who did not respond to treatment with the anti-anemia drug, darbepoetin alpha, had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or death than those who did respond to the anemia drug.

The Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Events with Aranesp* Therapy (TREAT) included 4,038 participants (176 Canadians from clinical centres across the country). Dr. Patrick Parfrey, the 2002 recipient of The Kidney Foundation of Canada's Medal for Research Excellence, was a member of the TREAT Executive Committee.

To read more on the study, visit http://nephronline.com

*darbepoetin alpha is the generic name for Aranesp

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellow Publishes in The Lancet

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:50:00 GMT

January 7, 2011 - Findings published in the Dec. 2010 issue of the prestigious English medical journal, The Lancet, by Dr. Mathew James and colleagues of the Alberta Kidney Disease Network (AKDN) underscored the importance of using the estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) along with proteinuria to identify people at risk of acute kidney injury. Proteinuria is the presence of high protein levels in the urine and eGFR is a measurement of the kidney’s ability to filter waste products. Used together, they are invaluable indicators of kidney health or disease.

Acute kidney injury, leading to negative short-and long-term health outcomes, is common and yet, preventable. In his study, Dr. James notes that “people who have had an episode of acute kidney injury, can have persistent kidney function loss and have an increased risk to develop end-stage renal disease”.

This study, funded by the Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration (ICDC), is based on information culled from more than 900,000 adults in a province-wide (Alberta) database.

The Alberta Kidney Disease Network (AKDN) published an earlier study pronouncing the importance of eGFR and proteinuria in the identification and management of chronic kidney disease.

The Kidney Foundation is proud to support excellent Canadian researchers, such as Dr. James, through the KRESCENT program and has dedicated the fifth volume of its Let’s Talk Research newsletter to profiling the work of such investigators.

The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education National Training (KRESCENT) Program focuses on the training of world class scientists. It was created in 2005 through a special contribution of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Society of Nephrology and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. A unique program, KRESCENT is characterized by: the recruitment of trainees from multiple disciplines, for involvement in a national curriculum; career development support at the (post-) doctoral level including the first Faculty appointment and ongoing mentorship; and the development of collaborative research and knowledge translation across research themes.

For more information on the KRESCENT Program or The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s research initiatives, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research at (514) 531-2212 (cell) or by email at wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in The Lancet
View the ICDC press release for more information

Discoverer of EPO Dies of Kidney Failure

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:03:00 GMT

December 23, 2010 - Eugene Goldwasser, the University of Chicago biochemist whose agonizingly long but ultimately successful search for a single protein helped launch the biotechnology industry, died on December 17, 2010 in Chicago after a brief illness. He was 88.

The immediate cause of death was renal failure associated with advancing prostate cancer, which he’d lived with for over 20 years. When his kidneys began to fail shortly after Thanksgiving, Goldwasser opted for hospice care instead of dialysis, a procedure revolutionized by his discovery.

Goldwasser, whose government-funded research began as a Cold War experiment to cure radiation sickness, found and purified erythropoietin, or EPO, which is a naturally-occurring hormone produced by the kidneys to stimulate new red blood cell production. Today, genetically-engineered versions of EPO cure anemia in dialysis and cancer patients and generate billions of dollars in sales for Amgen, Johnson & Johnson and Roche.

Read the obituary on Gooznews.com

Starting Dialysis Too Early May Be Life Threatening

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:54:00 GMT

December 23, 2010 - A study led by Dr. William Clark, published in the Dec. 2010 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, signals that patients diagnosed with kidney disease, if started too early on dialysis, are at an increased risk of death. On the other hand, early referral to a kidney specialist is clearly linked to better survival rates.

The study considered data of 25,910 adult patients in Canada who started dialysis between 2001 and 2007. The researchers looked at the timing of the start of dialysis (early vs. late in the disease progression) and the risk of death in these two groups over time. “Consistently through our research, it was shown that there is no benefit to initiate dialysis prematurely. In fact, it was concluded that it would potentially threaten the patient’s survival,” the researchers wrote. The authors also maintained that "in contrast to early initiation of dialysis, early referral to a nephrologist is consistently associated with better survival." “This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of how to best minimize the risk to kidney patients when treating end-stage renal disease,” says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. He also noted that “this study underscores the importance of registries such as the Canadian Organ Replacement Registry (CORR) for the development of clinical guidelines for the best treatment of kidney patients.”

Together with the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN), The Kidney Foundation is proud to be one of the founding organizations of CORR. Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, Chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the CSN states that “the results of studies such as this are important for updating guidelines for patient care, as well as highlighting the value of registries such as CORR in providing the detailed clinical information to undertake such research”.

Dr. William Clark is a professor the University of Western Ontario and is a member of the Biomedical Scientific Committee of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. The results of his study are consistent with CSN Clinical Practice Guidelines.

KRESCENT researcher Dr. Nina Jones is awarded a Canada Research Chair

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:35:00 GMT

December 22, 2010 - The KRESCENT Program would like to congratulate Dr. Nina Jones (University of Guelph) for being awarded a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. The Canada Research Chairs are intended to help universities attract and retain top researchers and make Canada one of the world’s top countries in research and development. Awarded to potential world leaders in their field for a period of five years, each chair is worth $ 100,000 per year.

Dr. Jones is a New Investigator (grant awarded in 2007) in The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education National Training (KRESCENT) Program. The KRESCENT Program was created in 2005 through a special contribution of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Society of Nephrology and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Program focuses on the training of world class scientists and supports researchers like Dr. Jones so they can dedicate time to study their area of focus. In the case of Dr. Jones, research is focused on the podocyte (a unit that filters the blood in the kidney).

“These [Research Chairs] are prestigious awards”, said KRESCENT Program Director, Dr. Kevin Burns. “It shows that the Program is supporting excellent young researchers who will contribute to a better understanding of kidney function, which represents the first step to finding a possible cure for kidney disease.”

A unique program, KRESCENT is characterized by: the recruitment of trainees from multiple disciplines, for involvement in a national curriculum; career development support at the (post-) doctoral level including the first Faculty appointment and ongoing mentorship; and the development of collaborative research and knowledge translation across research themes.

Read the latest issue of Let's Talk Research featuring the KRESCENT Program

Dr. Kevin Burns garners the 2010 Medal for Research Excellence

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:06:47 GMT

December 3, 2010 – Dr. Kevin Burns, a leader in translating kidney research into patient-oriented practices and a clinician-scientist committed to training future scientists, garners The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s 2010 Medal for Research Excellence.

Past President of the Canadian Society of Nephrology, Dr. Burns currently chairs the Steering Committee for the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT) Program, a unique national research-training program for clinical and basic science trainees that he played a key role in founding. Dr. Marie-Josée Hébert, Shire Chair (Université de Montréal) in Nephrology, Transplantation and Renal Regeneration notes that “Dr. Burns was instrumental in making the KRESCENT Program a reality. He still shows an incredible dedication and leadership in the training of young scientists who will be optimally prepared for developing innovative and multidisciplinary research programs.”

Dr. Burns’ research work has focused on the functioning of the kidney-based hormone system that regulates blood pressure and fluid levels (renin-angiotensin system or RAS). Recently, his laboratory has revealed insights into the function of a RAS enzyme called ACE2, which may protect against kidney damage. Dr. Burns has also demonstrated a commitment to translating his studies at the basic science level to patients affected by kidney disease.

Download the full press release (pdf)

Go to our Research section for more information on the Medal for Research Excellence

Kidney Transplantation May Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Older CKD Patients

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:45:00 GMT

September 27, 2010 - Research published in the Journal of Hypertension by Dr. Moshen Agharazii and colleagues from the Université Laval (Quebec City) reports a first-time finding of age-dependent improvement in aortic stiffness after successful kidney transplantation. As a result of aging, arteriosclerosis or end-stage kidney disease, arteries may stiffen and increase the heart’s workload, leading to an increased risk of death. The study’s new observations suggest older Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients with a successful kidney transplant have reduced cardiovascular risks.

“It was always thought that the stiffness of the blood vessels could not be reversed,” states Dr. Agharazii. “In this study, we showed for the first time that stiffness of the blood vessels is reversible as early as 3 months after a successful kidney transplantation … It is now time to study why patients with kidney disease develop vessel stiffness and how we can intervene to prevent and reverse this stiffness even in patients who do not have the opportunity to undergo kidney transplantation.”

This study was made possible by an innovative funding partnership known as a New Emerging Team Grant – Chronic Disease, involving The Kidney Foundation of Canada, three institutes of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), The Heart & Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association. “New knowledge is essential to reducing the burden of kidney disease and can often surface when funders pool resources to support interdisciplinary research. The Kidney Foundation recognizes the importance of pushing boundaries to fund excellent research and will continue to work with other organisations to make this possible’’, says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

For more information on the KRESCENT Program or The Kidney Foundation of Canada, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research (514) 531-2212 (cell.) or wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in Journal of Hypertension

Kidney Foundation of Canada Funded Study Identifies Barriers to Living Kidney Donation

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:35:00 GMT

July 13, 2010 - A study published in Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation by a group of Albertan researchers led by Ms. Lianne Barnieh, supported by a Kidney Foundation Allied Health Doctoral Fellowship, explored for the first time in Canada the barriers to living kidney donation for eligible kidney transplant patients.

The most frequently reported barriers identified by potential recipients were not knowing how to ask someone for a kidney and fear either for themselves (the transplant not functioning) or donor (future health implications). Kidney disease patients who understood the living donation process or that the donation did not pose significant long-term risk to the donor were more likely to have had discussions with potential donors

Dr. Barnieh’s study suggests “that providing appropriate information about living donation, which can be delivered within a structured educational intervention, could influence the decision to discuss and seek a living donor.”

“This is an extremely important study”, says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “The more we understand people’s perceptions, belief and behaviors in the organ donation process the better we can design educational programs to empower people regarding organ donation.”

For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research, at 514-531-2212 (cell.) or wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation

Kidney Foundation Funded Study Finds That Vitamin B May Be Harmful For Kidney Patients With Diabetes

Mon, 03 May 2010 18:49:00 GMT

May 3, 2010 - In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Dr. Andrew House of the University of Western Ontario, patients with diabetic nephropathy taking high doses vitamin B showed a decrease in kidney function and were at increased risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Patients with diabetes normally have higher homocysteine (an amino acid that increases clotting of the blood) levels and often take vitamin B supplements, which seem to lower homocysteine levels. Studies have shown that too much homocysteine in the blood is related to higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

Dr. House and colleagues think that because vitamin B is water soluble, healthy people would excrete excess vitamin B in the urine. However individuals with reduced renal function would not be able to do so, perhaps causing the adverse affects seen in this study.

“This is an extremely important study”, says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “People with kidney disease often take vitamins assuming they must be safe and good for their health. People with kidney disease should talk to their doctor before taking over-the-counter supplements.”

For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research 514-531-2212 (cell.) or wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in Journal of American Medical Association

Canadian Study Finds Chronic Kidney Disease Screening Could Increase Early Disease Management and Public Health

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:04:00 GMT

April 14, 2010 - According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn and colleagues of the Alberta Kidney Disease Network, the reporting of estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) – a measurement of the kidney’s ability to filter waste products - increased first time visits to kidney specialists, especially for middle aged to elderly patients, patients with more severe kidney dysfunction and those with co-morbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes.

This news is notable because Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an important and increasing public health problem that could be more effectively addressed and treated by early patient and physician awareness. In fact, early detection and appropriate interventions could stem chronic kidney disease progression - or even reverse it.

“An extremely important measurement of kidney function is estimated GFR”, says Paul Shay, National Executive Director, The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “People at risk for kidney disease should know their GFR just as people at risk for cardiovascular disease know their blood pressure.”

A low GFR is an indication of reduced kidney function. Estimated GFR is calculated using a formula based on age, gender and the result of a blood test (serum creatinine) to estimate kidney function. Creatinine is a natural waste product of body muscle. High levels in the blood or serum tests coupled with other risk factors, is an important indicator of an individual’s kidney health or possible kidney damage.

This Canadian study, funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the KRESCENT Program and published in March 2010, is based on information of more than 1,000,000 adults in a province-wide (Alberta) database. The same research group published an earlier study that showed a lower eGFR is associated with an increased risk of negative outcomes (see story “Reduced kidney function with proteinuria associated with increased risk of kidney failure”). Together these studies underscore that CKD is common and requires referral to a specialist.

The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education National Training (KRESCENT) Program focuses on the training of world class scientists. It was created in 2005 through a special contribution of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Society of Nephrology and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. A unique program, KRESCENT is characterized by: the recruitment of trainees from multiple disciplines, for involvement in a national curriculum; career development support at the (post-) doctoral level including the first Faculty appointment and ongoing mentorship; and the development of collaborative research and knowledge translation across research themes.

For more information on The Kidney Foundation of Canada or the KRESCENT Program, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research 514-531-2212 (cell.) or wim.wolfs@kidney.ca.

View the article in Journal of American Medical Association

Reduced Kidney Function with Proteinuria Associated With Increased Risk of Kidney Failure

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:49:00 GMT

February 11, 2010 - Patients with high levels of protein in the urine (proteinuria) coupled with at least one other marker of reduced kidney function had a higher risk of death, heart attack and progression to kidney failure according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) co-authored by Dr. Matthew James. Dr. James is a Post-Doctoral Fellowship recipient of the landmark Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT) Program made possible by The Kidney Foundation and a team of collaborators.

This Canadian study, published in February 2010, is based on information from nearly a million (902,985) adults in a province-wide (Alberta) database and proves significant for both its size and findings. Current guidelines for the classification and staging of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are based on estimated glomerular filtration rate or eGFR (a measure of the severity of kidney damage) without explicit consideration of the severity of coexistent proteinuria. The authors note: ''our findings do suggest that risk stratification performed in terms of eGFR alone is relatively insensitive to clinically relevant gradients in risk.''

Presently, chronic kidney disease is classified in five (5) different stages based on eGFR. This classification scheme has been very helpful in educating both medical professionals and the general public on CKD incidence and the implications of CKD in terms of early identification and management of persons with the disease.

The five stage classification, however, has been questioned for not including the presence and severity of proteinuria, a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount of protein. Proteinuria is an important indicator of CKD associated with negative outcomes.

Not everyone progresses from stage 1 to stage 5. Research is ongoing to better understand the factors that cause kidney failure and to identify individuals who are at particular risk for it.

“This is an important study,” says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “The Kidney Foundation is interested in a better understanding of chronic kidney disease. The study demonstrates the importance of proteinuria. The Kidney Foundation is proud to support relevant research and those who perform it. These kinds of findings contribute in a significant way to a pool of knowledge that cumulatively has practical implications for both clinical care and research.”

The KRESCENT Program was created through a special collaboration of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Society of Nephrology and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The KRESCENT Program focuses on the training of world class scientists. It is a unique program characterized by: the recruitment of trainees from multiple disciplines, for involvement in a national curriculum, supports the career development at the (post-) doctoral level and the first Faculty appointment, with ongoing mentorship support, and fostering the development of collaborative research and knowledge translation across research themes.

For more information on the KRESCENT Program or The Kidney Foundation of Canada, contact Wim Wolfs, National Director Research (514) 531-2212 (cell.) or wim.wolfs@kidney.ca

View the article in Journal of American Medical Association

The Kidney Foundation and Dietary Salt Reduction

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:25:00 GMT

January 27, 2010 - The Foundation is proud to partner in the Sodium Reduction Research Workshop organised by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Institutes for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes and Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health. The Workshop was held January 25 and 26 in Toronto and evaluated the strengths, gaps and opportunities in research capacity in Canada for sodium reduction research. It aims to develop the research agenda for sodium reduction that will support the Health Canada Workgroup on Sodium Reduction.

“Consuming more salt than we need can lead to high blood pressure,” says Paul Shay, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, a member of Hypertension Canada, “and after diabetes, hypertension is the most common cause of kidney failure. So it stands to reason that if you care about your health, you’ll want to put a halt on the salt.” The benefits of dietary salt intake reduction were underscored in an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine accompanying a landmark study on the public health benefits of dietary salt reduction. The study by Dr. Bibbins-Domingo (University of California, San Francisco) concluded that a 3 gram per day reduction in dietary salt would reduce the annual number of deaths from any cause by 44,000 to 92,000 in the United States. Lowering salt intake would result in small but measurable reduction in blood pressure. The NEJM editorial also stated that that there is evidence that salt reduction may reduce end-stage kidney disease.

Read the editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine
Read Dr. Bibbins-Domingo's article in the New England Journal of Medicine

Canadians Support Increase in Medical Research Funding

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:09:00 GMT

January 19, 2010 - A recent Angus Reid survey, conducted on behalf of six health organizations, found that most Canadians would support increased government funding for health and medical research because they believe breakthroughs are possible within 10 to 20 years. Results of the "Canada Speaks! 2010: Canadians Go for Gold in Health and Medical Research" survey are available at: http://www.canadaspeaks2010.ca/content.php?sec=3

More coverage of the survey available at:
http://www.news.tradingcharts.com/futures/5/3/134155835.html

Acute Kidney Injury Increases Long-Terms Risk of Death

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:55:00 GMT

December 23, 2009 - Patients with sudden loss of kidney function, called acute kidney injury (AKI), are more likely to die prematurely after leaving the hospital—even if their kidney function has apparently recovered, according to a study by Dr. Jean-Phillipe Lafrance, a KRESCENT Post Doctoral Fellowship recipient. "Our study found that risk of death remains elevated long after the acute kidney injury," comments Jean-Phillipe Lafrance.

Dr. Lafrance has returned to the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal after finishing his Fellowship at the Boston University School of Public Health. His Fellowship research led to the publication of an article focusing on Acute Kidney Injury and the risk of death in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology.

View Dr. Lafrance’s article in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
Download the full press release (pdf)

2009 Medal for Research Excellence Awarded to Dr. Susan E. Quaggin

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:04:00 GMT

December 11, 2009 – Dr. Susan E. Quaggin has been awarded The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s 2009 Medal for Research Excellence for exceptional work that has extensively improved the lives of people living with kidney disease.

As a clinician-investigator, Dr. Quaggin develops research questions of major importance through her observations and work with patients at St. Michael’s Hospital. She runs her own lab at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto where she performs groundbreaking work.

“Sue Quaggin is an extensively published, accomplished and talented young scientist in the flourishing phase of her career,” notes Dr. Andras Kapus, associate professor at the research institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. “She has rendered immense service to the field of nephrology and to people with kidney disease. We look forward to what she will achieve in the years to come.’’

Each year The Kidney Foundation of Canada awards The Medal for Research Excellence to honour a Canadian researcher whose work is recognized by their peers for having improved the treatment and care of people living with kidney disease and related conditions.

Download the full press release (pdf)
Read our newsletter Let's Talk Research for more researcher profiles (pdf)

New Canadian Research Helps Doctors Care for Kidney Patients

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:29:00 GMT

October 9, 2009 – Research funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and led by kidney specialists at Lawson Health Research Institute and London Health Sciences Centre will make it possible for doctors to quickly and effectively access information relevant for patient care. These research findings have been released this week in the print version of the renowned British Medical Journal (BMJ).

“Our study shows that MEDLINE, the database most used by doctors to guide patient care, can be filtered in a reliable manner for patient relevant information,” says Dr. Amit Garg, a London Health Sciences Centre nephrologist and epidemiologist, Lawson scientist, associate professor with the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario and Clinician Scientist with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Previous attempts to filter the database for a clinical discipline have been limited.

“Using filters is like screening for disease in high risk populations,” says Dr. Garg. “Instead of searching the entire MEDLINE database, doctors can now perform their search within a set of articles relevant to the discipline, such as kidney or kidney disease. Our best renal filters exceeded 97% sensitivity and specificity so they can now be programmed into the system, available for everyone to use – not just renal specialists.’’

Download the full press release (pdf)
Read Dr. Garg's article in British Medical Journal

KFOC Fellowship Recipient Publishes Study Results

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:51:00 GMT

August 21, 2009 - Dr. Josée Bouchard, a KFOC Fellowship recipient (July 2007 to June 2009), has returned to Hôpital Sacré-Coeur in Montreal after finishing her Fellowship at the University of California San Diego. Her Fellowship research has led to the publication of an article focusing on critically ill patients suffering from acute kidney injury and the effect of fluid accumulation on their outcomes.

Despite progress in intensive care delivery and dialysis support, there has not been much improvement in survival of acute kidney injury patients. Dr. Bouchard's study shows that fluid accumulation may aggravate the increased mortality in dialyzed and non-dialyzed patients with acute kidney injury. Randomized controlled trials are now needed to confirm whether the fluid accumulation was a result of a more severe renal injury or a factor contributing to its cause. Dr. Bouchard worked with members of the Program to Improve Care in Acute Renal Disease (PICARD) Study Group to complete the project informing her publication.

View Dr. Bouchard’s article in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation

View the editorial on Dr. Bouchard's article in Nature Reviews Nephrology

Now a Montreal-based nephrologist and clinical researcher, Dr. Bouchard is involved in a multicenter prospective study on acute kidney injury including patients from Hôpital Sacré-Coeur, University of California San Diego and 3 medical centers in the state of New York. Other centers from South America, Europe and Asia will join their group over the next months.

Dr Catherine Whiteside To Be Awarded 2009 May-Cohen Award

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:59:00 GMT

August 19, 2009 - Dr. Catharine Whiteside, the Foundation’s 2007 awardee of the Medal for Research Excellence, will receive the Canadian Medical Association 2009 May-Cohen Award for Women Mentor.

Download the press release from the Canadian Medical Association (pdf)
Read our profile on Dr. Whiteside

Quality of Life of Dialysis Patients Focus of Foundation-funded Documentary

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:30:00 GMT

June 15, 2009 - A two-year study (2006-2008) funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Donner Canadian Foundation, “Living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD): Multiple perspectives on suffering and healing” has resulted in a feature-length, patient-centred documentary film about what it is like to live with kidney failure.

Led by Dr. Thomas Hutchinson and Dr. Dawn Allen of McGill University, the project began as a discussion between patients and health professionals. Living With Kidney Failure draws on video data from focus group discussions, biographical interviews, and observation in dialysis units to raise awareness about chronic kidney disease and to promote a better understanding of its quality-of-life implications for people who live with this chronic illness.

Watch the documentary Living With Kidney Failure

Foundation-Funded Research with Important Implications

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:02:00 GMT

June 3, 2009 - A team of researchers at The University of Western Ontario, led by Joaquin (Quim) Madrenas of the Robarts Research Institute, has discovered some processes that reduce the lethal effects of toxins from superbugs, allowing humans and microbes to co-evolve. This discovery may lead to novel alternatives to antibiotics that specifically target the toxic effects of these superbugs. The findings are being published in the journal Nature Medicine and are now available online.

View press release (pdf)
View Dr. Madrenas article in Nature Medicine

Dr. Madrenas' research was funded by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was featured in Let's Talk Research vol. 1 (pdf)