Kidney Research Centre
Our Research
At the KRC, the focus is on preventing kidney disease and finding improved diagnostic methods and treatments. A Research Program on the Prevention of Kidney Disease, launched in October 2007 and spear-headed by a generous contribution from Dr. Shiv. Jindal, is an integral part of the KRC's mission.
Laboratory scientists (Drs. K. Burns, C. Kennedy, R. L. Hébert, and D. Burger) conduct research on the molecular pathways that lead to kidney damage in humans. Current studies focus on answering the following questions:
- How does diabetes cause kidney damage?
- Can stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood be used to repair kidneys after injury?
- How does high blood pressure injure blood vessels and lead to kidney failure?
- How do the tiny filters within kidneys (glomeruli) get injured in many forms of kidney disease (glomerulonephritis)?
- What is the effect of certain pain medications (anti-inflammatory drugs) on kidney structure and function?
KRC clinician investigators (Drs. A. Akbari, E. Clark, T. Fairhead, S. Hiremath, G. Knoll, B. McCormick, M. Ruzicka, M. Sood, D. Zimmerman and others) conduct research studies in patients with kidney disease to:
- improve the early detection of kidney disease,
- find better treatments to prevent kidney transplant failure,
- improve the lives of people on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and
- discover causes and novel treatments for high blood pressure in people with kidney disease.