Predictors of Renal Disease

Description: Diabetic kidney disease, also known as diabetic nephropathy, is an important cause of excess morbidity and premature mortality in individuals with Type 1 diabetes mellitus, 25% to 40% of whom will ultimately develop diabetic nephropathy. The most serious long-term effect of diabetic nephropathy is kidney failure leading to end stage renal disease (ESRD), a condition in which there is a permanent and almost complete loss of kidney function. Other causes of ESRD include high blood pressure, glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidneys, and multiple myeloma. The invention is based on the inventors’ discovery that declining renal function can be detected far earlier than has previously been suspected. The inventors have found that the expression profile of certain proteins can predict a decline in renal function in a subject before the subject exhibits any overt symptom of renal disease. Clinical & Commercial Utility: The invention features a method of evaluating a patient to determine predisposition to renal disease (e.g., end stage renal disease or diabetic nephropathy), as well as the presence or severity of the disease, by measuring expression of specific proteins. Such a diagnostic test would be valuable in that it would allow identification of patients at risk for ESRD far earlier than is now possible, perhaps making it feasible to screen a large proportion of individuals with Type 1 diabetes. The proteins identified as being associated with risk of acquiring the disease may be useful targets in drug development.
A U.S. patent application claiming this invention has been filed.

Type of Offer: Licensing



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