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The primary cilia in diabetic kidney disease: targeting the cellular antennas

Summary

This project explores the role of the kidney proximal tubule cell primary cilia in diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic kidney disease is a leading cause of end stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation to sustain life. Glomerular hyperfiltration is the initiating event in diabetic nephropathy and landmark trials have shown that reducing hyperfiltration with renin angiotensin aldosterone blockade and more recently sodium glucose co transporter 2 inhibition reduce the progression of kidney disease. The kidney proximal tubule primary cilia acts as mechanosensory antennae and transmit luminal fluid shear stress changes intracellularly and influence cell signalling resulting in adaptive/maladaptive changes. This project seeks to test the hypothesis that interrupting this primary cilium transmission of hyperfiltration induced intracellular signalling will delay the progression of diabetic nephropathy. This project will test this hypothesis using in vitro and in vivo ( mice) models of diabetes/diabetic nephropathy. LNA GApmer technology with gene silencing will be used as an intervention in the models

Supervisor

Associate Professor Usha Panchapakesan.

Research location

North Shore - Kolling Institute of Medical Research

Program type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

  

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2729