https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Researchers led by Dr. Ralph Witzgall, a professor at the Chair of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy at the University of Regensburg, have deciphered a key disease mechanism underlying the hereditary kidney disorder nail-patella syndrome and identified a potential therapeutic strategy. Their findings demonstrate that an already approved drug can significantly reduce disease-causing changes. The study, which also involved researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), was recently published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-cancer-drug-kidney-linked-patella.html Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:40:09 EDT news710606941 The risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) or heart failure (HF), or dying, following a type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis increases substantially over time, according to new research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy, Sept. 28–Oct. 2. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kidney-disease-heart-failure-death.html Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:10:01 EDT news709464081 Most people's blood pressure falls by 10% to 20% while they sleep, giving the heart and blood vessels a chance to recover. But for some people, that nighttime dip never happens. Known as "non-dippers," these individuals face a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and premature death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-overnight-blood-pressure-reveal-health.html Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:20:01 EDT news709469941 State laws to combat disability-based discrimination in the organ transplant process aren't working, according to new research from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examines national policies designed to help all patients have a fair chance to receive an organ transplant. Despite 40 states passing laws prohibiting disability-based discrimination in the organ transplant process, people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are still less likely to receive a kidney transplant than those without IDD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-patients-developmental-disabilities-kidney-transplant.html Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:20:10 EDT news709290973 A microscopic worm that has no kidneys is helping Rutgers scientists understand a genetic change suspected of causing a serious inherited kidney disease. By making a precise change in the roundworm's DNA and following the proteins it produces, researchers discovered the altered protein failed to reach the place where it normally works. But when a healthy version was present in the same animal, that protein continued doing its job. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-tiny-worm-scientists-unravel-genetic.html Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:05 EDT news709212361 Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of chronic kidney disease, making prevention of kidney failure a key part of treatment. Newer diabetes medications, including GLP-1s and SGLT2 inhibitors, can reduce the risk of kidney disease, but previous studies have included large proportions of patients who already had signs of kidney damage, making it unclear whether the findings applied to patients without kidney damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-simple-urine-kidney-treatment-choices.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:30:04 EDT news708794101 In a clinical guideline published online Sept. 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, updated recommendations are presented for managing anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-anemia-chronic-kidney-disease.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:20:01 EDT news708696830 Iron is an essential micronutrient, but excess iron can damage cells and increase cancer risk. While many cells die from iron-induced oxidative stress, a subset survives and may become cancerous. Previously, the identity of these surviving cells was unclear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-giant-nucleus-cells-key-markers.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 11:40:01 EDT news708339121 Risk factors for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, a condition comprising heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity, can be identified in children as young as 8, UTHealth Houston researchers found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic-disease-factors.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 05:00:03 EDT news708247999 Nephrotic syndrome is caused when the filtering system in the kidneys is damaged, allowing large amounts of protein to leak into the urine. It is usually treated with steroids, but in some cases, steroids alone are insufficient, and long-term steroid use has serious side effects. Some patients develop a difficult-to-treat form of the disease that returns when the steroid dose is reduced. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-cells-rituximab-response-reveal-kidney.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:40:08 EDT news708251341 In January 2026, Tim Andrews, who had received a genetically edited pig kidney in January 2025, became the recipient of a human kidney. A new Mass General Brigham paper, published in The Lancet, details Andrews' experience and how xenotransplantation could bridge the gap between end-stage kidney failure and a human transplant, allowing a patient to forgo dialysis in the meantime. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-pig-kidney-xenotransplant-successfully-bridges.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:30:02 EDT news707650501 A new risk stratification model developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists may help identify patients at lower risk of kidney transplant rejection, informing more personalized treatment and care strategies with fewer adverse side effects, as detailed in a recent study published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-patients-kidney-transplant.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:00:05 EDT news707658360 The first-ever European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on the management of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease have been developed in collaboration with the European Renal Association. The new guidelines were published online in the European Heart Journal and presented at ESC Congress 2026 on Aug. 29. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-guidelines-patients-heart-disease-kidney.html Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:00:04 EDT news707126416 Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited cause of kidney failure. Despite decades of research, treatment options for the disease remain limited, and many patients ultimately require dialysis or kidney transplantation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-protein-production-genetic-approach-polycystic.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:02 EDT news706881242 Kidney disease is silent in its early stages, progressing without symptoms until the disease is advanced. Researchers in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, in collaboration with researchers at WashU Medicine and Texas A&M University, have been developing a minimally invasive method to improve diagnosis at earlier stages. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-painless-microneedle-patch-kidney-disease.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:20:13 EDT news706869721 Researchers at the University of Cologne, University Hospital Cologne and the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research have developed a method that, for the first time, enables damage to individual cells to be precisely quantified. The method uses molecular markers—specifically gene expression—and enables detailed analysis of disease progression in individual tissue samples, such as a biopsy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-gene-markers-quantify-individual-kidney.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:40:03 EDT news706537561