ECM1 and inflammation in acute kidney injury
Co-applicant(s): Jonatan Barrera Chimal
Lay Abstract
Acute kidney injury is a condition that affects nearly 20% of hospitalized patients. Those patients that suffered an acute kidney injury episode are at higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease later in life. After an injury to the kidney there is an excessive inflammatory response that if not resolved, it contributes to a defective healing process, leading to chronic kidney disease progression and life-threatening consequences. In this proposal we aim to understand at the cellular and molecular level how in response to an acute injury to the kidney, some cells from the immune system (neutrophils) contribute to the exaggerated and continued inflammation that can lead to kidney dysfunction. We will also investigate how a molecule named ECM1 can modulate the cellular functions of the neutrophils and contribute to the disease. This work will further our understanding of how the kidney heals and will help us to identify molecular targets for novel treatments aimed to promote a faster and appropriate recovery from acute kidney injury.
