Kidney Disease Research
Physician-Scientists in Nationwide Children’s Pediatric Nephrology Division are dedicated to identifying new biomarkers and therapeutic targets that may impact the lives of children with kidney and urinary tract diseases. Our team participates in clinical, translational, and basic science research that is funded by industry, professional societies, the National Institutes of Health, and the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. Our team has over forty ongoing IRB-approved research studies. Our externally funded translational studies that are open for patient enrollment include:
This is a National Institutes of Health sponsored observational study in children with chronic kidney disease. The goals of this study are to identify risk factors that contribute to a decline in kidney function and to define how progressive decline in kidney function impacts the child’s health.
Recruitment Status: Enrolling
Site Principal Investigator: Hiren Patel, MD
Study Coordinator: Jacqueline Brito
This is a multi-center study funded by the National Institutes of Health to identify markers of glomerular disease, including minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, and immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Also, this study will evalaute how new therapies impact disease progresssion.
Recruitment Status: Enrolling
National and Site PI: William E. Smoyer MD
Study Coordinator: Subh Das MBBS
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common and serious infections encountered in clinical practice and no proven treatment options exist to prevent UTI. Research now suggests that cells in the kidney and bladder produce an antibacterial peptide called Ribonuclease 7 that is important for fighting infection. This National Institutes of Health supported R01 application will identify new ways to develop Ribonuclease 7 to treat and prevent infections in the urinary tract. Also, it will investigate if children with UTI or recurrent UTI have abnormal Ribonuclease 7 production.
Recruitment Status: Enrolling
Study Coordinator: Sara Lautzenhiser MS
Urinary tract and kidney infections are serious infections that can cause many health complications and death in people with diabetes. Research now suggests that specialized cells in the kidney are important to fighting urinary tract infections. By studying how insulin regulates the antibacterial mechanisms in these cells, we can gain insight into why people with diabetes develop infections and develop new options to treat and prevent them. This National Institutes of Health supported R01 application will investigate if children with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus have abnormal immune profiles that increase their infection risk.
Recruitment Status: Enrolling
Study Coordinator: Sara Lautzenhiser, MS
X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the PHEX gene that leads to poor bone health, bone pain, and fractures. The X-linked Hypophosphatemia Disease Monitoring Program (XLH-DMP) is a global prospective, multicenter, longitudinal, long-term outcomes program for subjects on or off any treatment designed to characterize XLH disease presentation and progression, assess long-term safety and effectiveness of burosumab (Ultragenyx), as well as prospectively investigate longitudinal change over time across biomarker(s), clinical assessments, and patient/caregiver-reported outcome measures in a representative population. The XLH-DMP will collect demographic, biochemical, physiologic, disease severity, and progression data in patients taking burosumab and those not taking burosumab.
Recruitment Status: Enrolling
Site PI: Sasi Bowden, MD and John Mahan, MD
Study Coordinator: Hayden Messer
Our physician scientists are also externally supported in preclinical studies that investigate:
- Mechanisms that prevent obstructive kidney injury, one of the leading causes of pediatric chronic kidney disease. This work is led by Dr. Brian Becknell and supported by the American Society of Nephrology.
- New therapies are needed to prevent urinary tract infections, one of the most common and serious bacterial infections in clinical practice. National Institutes of Health supported projects led by Dr. Brian Becknell and John David Spencer are investigating mechanisms that can be developed to prevent infection.
Other areas our Team investigates include:
- Adolescent transplant patients’ adherence to their medication and lifestyle regimen, and transitioning them from pediatric- to adult-centered care.
- The diagnosis and impact of hypertension in children and children with kidney transplantation.
- The impact of glomerular disease on child health.
- New medications that prevent kidney transplant rejection.
- The impact of renal tubular diseases, including cystinosis and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, on child health and development.
- Mechanisms in which children in peritoneal dialysis develop infections.
- Urinary tract development and its impact renal function.