A Multiparadigmatic Approach to Renal Disease and Kidney Preservation

In this presentation we explore the latest developments in the burgeoning field of systems nephrology as it pertains to treating renal disease in vivo as well as the roles an assortment of factors play in improving or reducing... [ view full abstract ]

In this presentation we explore the latest developments in the burgeoning field of systems nephrology as it pertains to treating renal disease in vivo as well as the roles an assortment of factors play in improving or reducing transplant viability. The majority of alleles identified so far have weak correlations with their respective disorder or disorders. This has prompted nephrologists to begin studying miRNA function, DNA methylation, and proteomics alongside genomics. Phenomena associated with aging such as cellular senescence, the formation of glycation end products, autophagical decline, and mitochondrial dysfunction are also strongly implicated in common kidney disorders, and so will be useful in restoring healthy function in a living patient or salvaging a donor organ.

There are several open questions in nephrology, perhaps resolvable through the aforementioned areas of research, that point towards the need for a personalized approach pathogenesis and etiology (e.g. why does proteinuria not always correlate with the decline of kidney function?). Diving deeper into these problems and devising more nuanced classificatory systems can provide insights that will not only result in more effective treatments, but also in a greatly expanded donor pool. Alongside our review of the state of the art we also touch upon the potential usefulness of drug-predictive targeting software for developing polypharmacological molecules, as well as nanoparticle delivery systems designed with the compartmentalized structure of the kidney in mind.