Research Focus

Transport Mechanisms in Hypertension and Kidney Disease

Hypertension is a leading cause of death globally, and is known as a silent killer because it often displays no symptoms. Hypertension can lead to heart failure, kidney failure and strokes.  While we do have therapeutic options, there are many people with drug resistant hypertension, and there is still a lot we do not understand about the development and progression of this disease.

Polycystic Kidney Disease is the most common genetic cause of renal failure and is the fourth leading cause of kidney replacement therapy. In this disease, the kidneys are damage by the progressive development of large fluid-filled cysts that damage the surrounding tissue. To date there is only one approved treatment for the autosomal-dominant form of this disease, but it is far from a cure.

Diabetic Kidney Disease occurs in a large proportion of diabetic patients and is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease leading to end stage renal failure. While current therapies such as SGLT2 inhibitors have made significant progress in the treatment of this disease, increasing our understanding of the different cellular mechanisms in different kidney cell types may lead to more targeted therapeutic approaches.

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