Translational Kidney Therapies Group
Worldwide, kidney disease kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Yet standard of care treatment for kidney disease remains unsatisfactory as it is non-specific and toxic with multiple side effects. Even with treatment, many patients progress to end stage renal disease (ESRD) which requires kidney transplantation or dialysis for survival, costing the health care system over $1 Billion a year. There is a significant need for new targeted therapies with fewer side effects. The Translational Kidney Therapies Group is working on new innovative therapies to target inflammatory kidney diseases such as: ANCA associated vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, and acute kidney injury. The team’s particular focus is on modulating the immune system with therapies that reduce inflammation and target the particular immune cells that cause the pathological damage. This approach will reduce off target side effects experienced with non-specific current therapy. The overarching aim of the group is to develop safe, selective and effective therapeutic strategies for treatment of autoimmune kidney disease.
Research Interests
Fig.1 Neutrophil Extracellular Trap captured by confocal
- The role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in inflammatory diseases
- Investigating the dysbiosis of the gut microbiome as a possible cause of autoimmune kidney diseases
- Modulating inflammation in the kidney via administration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)
- Development of adeno-associated viral vectors to release therapeutics (DNase I) systemically to treat inflammation in autoimmune kidney diseases
- Determine major kidney therapeutic targets in MPO-ANCA vasculitis patients
Funding
- National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Medical Research Future Fund, Industry Funding