Research Awards Recipients

Lay Abstract

Is a protein called inhibin beta C important to kidney scarring in diabetic kidney disease? Diabetic kidney disease is a common problem and is the most common cause of kidney failure in North America. We previously studied proteins that belong to the family of activin proteins. Blocking activins A and B improves diabetic kidney disease. A third member of the family is activin C, which was thought to be mostly present in the liver. Activin C is made up of two proteins called inhibin beta C which are stuck together. We found that inhibin beta C is present in certain parts of the kidney tubules which are important to kidney scarring. We also found that inhibin beta C is increased in the blood and urine of mouse models of diabetic kidney disease. We will test the importance of inhibin beta C to diabetic kidney disease in mice that genetically do not have inhibin beta C, as well as in mice that we cause to have much higher inhibin beta C levels in blood than normal. Using these, we will see if changing inhibin beta C levels makes a difference to kidney function and kidney scarring in a diabetic kidney disease model. In understanding if inhibin beta C is important in diabetic kidney disease, we may be able to develop treatments to stop its function or to use it as a test to tell which people with diabetes may be at a higher risk of developing worsening of their kidney disease.