https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Approximately 850 million people globally (9.1% of the world's population) have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The number of affected individuals has grown steadily during the past 20 years and is on track to continue rising. Existing drugs, such as RAAS inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, are commonly prescribed, but their effectiveness varies from patient to patient. Moreover, these drugs can slow disease progression but cannot stop it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cannabinoid-pathways-kidney-disease-ckd.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:00:04 EDT news704714722 An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna reports on a new treatment strategy that has made kidney transplantation possible for a patient with no realistic chance of receiving a suitable donor organ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cancer-drug-enables-kidney-transplant.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news704645881 Pregnancy places extra strain on the kidneys, and for women with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), around half will experience a decline in kidney function during pregnancy. Despite these risks, outcomes for pregnant women with CKD have changed little over the past 30 years, and many of the treatments used to manage kidney disease are not safe during pregnancy, meaning women often need to stop their medication for at least nine months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beetroot-juice-benefit-pregnant-women.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:20:04 EDT news704534282 Adults with kidney transplants who were treated for COVID-19 with the antiviral remdesivir within a week of a COVID-19 diagnosis and who received at least three consecutive days of therapy were less likely than kidney transplant recipients who did not receive the antiviral to experience cardiovascular or kidney problems up to a year later, according to findings from a target trial emulation study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-remdesivir-covid-linked-outcomes-adult.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:00:05 EDT news704363761 People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. They also suffer from chronic inflammation, the causes of which are still only partly understood. Oxalic acid (oxalate) has so far been known primarily for its role in the formation of kidney stones. The molecule is a natural metabolic byproduct, is found in certain foods and is normally excreted by the kidneys in urine. However, when kidney function is impaired, oxalate accumulates in the body and can promote inflammatory processes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-oxalate-buildup-triggers-inflammation-cardiac.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:40:03 EDT news702908086 Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of the fetus's survival after birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-womb-fluid-infusions-fetuses-kidney.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:40:04 EDT news702747239 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common, largely silent and serious. Most people who have the condition do not realize they have it, while it sharply raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and early death. Over the past decade, the share of American adults living with CKD has remained consistent. Roughly 1 in 7 U.S. adults—about 15%—had CKD in 2013, and approximately 1 in 7 still had it in 2023. What has changed is the type of kidney disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-kidney-disease-profile-shifts-diabetes.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:00:07 EDT news702704496 A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed Hong Kong's first "AI Agent for Precision Diabetes Management—PIPE-AI" (AI Agent), designed specifically for Asian populations, together with a related disease risk prediction model. Leveraging artificial intelligence and large-scale local electronic health data, the system can more accurately predict the risk of complications worsening, such as chronic kidney disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes over the next 10 years, enabling health care professionals and patients to intervene early and improve disease management. The research findings have been published in npj Digital Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ai-agent-precision-diabetes.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:01 EDT news702638778 In a study published in Science, USC researchers paired a biological discovery with an engineering feat to create more faithful, reproducible lab-grown kidney structures from stem cells, known as organoids. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-stem-cell-scientists-synthetic-cells.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:00:06 EDT news702142801 Nearly half of Americans with kidney failure who are referred for transplantation never begin the process required to be considered for a new organ, a new study shows, while less than a fifth actually complete the assessment and get on the waitlist. While experts have studied what happens once people make it onto the list, little attention has been paid to challenges in making the waitlist in the first place, the study authors said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-people-kidney-transplant-waitlist.html Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:30:02 EDT news701013756 Artificial intelligence can help predict a patient's risk for conditions such as sepsis, heart disease and cancer. But many of these tools fall short in real-life clinical practice because they are difficult for doctors to interpret and trust. Researchers at UC San Francisco have developed a new way to use AI to build clinical prediction tools that combines the speed of artificial intelligence with the judgment of human experts. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-framework-doctors-tools.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:20:04 EDT news700902181 A drug previously developed at UCLA to help heart tissue repair itself after a heart attack might also help kidney tissue repair and regenerate, researchers have found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-protein-blockade-scarring-faster.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700843681 Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a previously unrecognized way the kidneys regulate water balance—an advance that could lead to improved treatments for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and other disorders. The study, led by Fouad Chebib, M.D., a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-1940s-era-drug-uncover-kidney.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:04 EDT news700736006 LRBA deficiency has long been viewed primarily as an immune disorder, but researchers at Science Tokyo have found that the condition may also impair urinary concentrating ability. Using patient registry data from 43 individuals, mouse models and protein analysis, the study found that LRBA deficiency can cause excessive urination and electrolyte abnormalities, highlighting the need for closer fluid and sodium monitoring in affected patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-kidney-effects-emerge-lrba.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:40:01 EDT news700148315 A series of major studies has shown that finerenone preserves kidney function, reduces cardiovascular risk, and improves survival across a much broader range of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) than it is currently recommended for. These benefits extend beyond diabetes to non-diabetic CKD and glomerular diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-drug-finerenone-millions-patients.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:50:01 EDT news699785581