https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects about 1 in 10 women worldwide, yet diagnosis is often delayed and women are less likely to receive critical treatments like dialysis or a kidney transplant compared with men, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the journal Circulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-women-kidney-health-overlooked-delaying.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:36 EDT news708862981 Stem cell researchers have identified inflammatory pathways that may play a key role in driving kidney damage in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), pointing to potential new approaches for protecting the kidneys. Using stem cell-derived kidney organoids, Dr. Benjamin Freedman and colleagues from the University of Washington found that exposure to high sugar levels triggered inflammation and disrupted the organoids' typical kidney tissue-like structure, causing individual kidney cells to detach. These changes were reminiscent of those observed in kidney biopsies and urine samples from patients with DKD. The research was published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-stem-cell-diabetic-kidney-disease.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:01 EDT news708794821 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 Artificial intelligence (AI) models prioritize starkly different attributes than humans when making high-stakes decisions, and they don't express indecision like humans do, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The findings raise questions about the role of AI in decision support for ethically sensitive situations like medical decisions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-kidney-ai-chatbots-moral-choices.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:40:09 EDT news708597902 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 A study of adults with type 2 diabetes recovering from dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury found that patients who began an SGLT-2 inhibitor within 30 days of hospital discharge had fewer serious kidney events than those who started the medicine 31 to 90 days after discharge. The research, led by National Taiwan University Hospital and published in JAMA Network Open, examines an important question about treatment during kidney recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-diabetes-medicine-sooner-kidney-injury.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:40:04 EDT news708253021 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 A common liver condition thought to be harmless could be dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and premature death, according to a new review led by University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-symptomless-liver-condition-linked-heart.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:00:14 EDT news708174002 A new study led by researchers at Kumamoto University has found a clear seasonal pattern in community-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI) among people younger than 65 in Japan, with incidence peaking in summer and showing a larger seasonal increase among those 19 and younger. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-incidence-acute-kidney-injury-higher.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:00:06 EDT news708098402 In the midst of another intense wildfire season, a new study sheds light on the risks wildfires pose to life-sustaining dialysis care for thousands of Canadians. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-wildfires-pose-threat-dialysis.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:40:02 EDT news707652715 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 For patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), rates of heart failure-related hospitalization increased from 2011 to 2021, according to a study published in the September issue of Kidney International Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-heart-failure-hospitalization-ckd.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:30:05 EDT news707399958 When red blood cells break down, they release heme, a component of hemoglobin that can contribute to inflammation and damage tissues and blood vessels. Researchers at Lund University have identified a mechanism by which heme activates an inflammatory reaction in the blood. They also were able to block this pathway in experimental models. The findings could have implications for diseases and conditions involving extensive breakdown of red blood cells, including hemolytic uremic syndrome and malaria. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-red-blood-cells-trigger-inflammation.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:30:03 EDT news707400045 The interleukin-6 (IL-6) antibody pacibekitug produced sustained reductions in inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic kidney disease at high inflammatory risk, according to results from the Phase II TRANQUILITY trial presented in a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-sustained-reductions-inflammatory-markers-antibody.html Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:20:09 EDT news707386917 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 The investigational anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody pacibekitug produced sustained reductions in inflammation-related biomarkers through six months in patients with chronic kidney disease and elevated inflammatory risk associated with heart disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-monoclonal-antibody-interleukin-sustained-reductions.html Sat, 29 Aug 2026 12:33:55 EDT news707225609 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health burden affecting approximately one in 10 adults globally. Even with improved treatments, many patients continue to experience worsening kidney function, resulting in the need for dialysis or transplantation. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction have long been suspected to contribute to CKD, but direct evidence linking these processes to disease development has been limited. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-txn1-mutant-rats-valuable-chronic.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 19:20:02 EDT news707112661 Allograft survival is unaffected when kidney transplant (KT) is performed after a short-term pretransplant dialysis duration (PTDD), according to a study published online Aug. 24 in the International Journal of Urology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-short-term-pretransplant-dialysis-affect.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:40:04 EDT news707137601 Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when large numbers of cancer cells break down rapidly, releasing substances such as uric acid into the bloodstream that can damage the kidneys and cause serious complications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-multicenter-early-rasburicase-kidney-failure.html Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:40:02 EDT news707111641 A new study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that a simple urine test performed on deceased kidney donors could help doctors make better transplant decisions, giving more people access to successful kidney transplants while reducing the number of deceased donor kidneys that go unused. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-simple-urine-kidney-transplant-decisions.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:40:01 EDT news706962721 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 As Japan's population continues to age, age-related declines in kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are becoming increasingly prevalent, underscoring the need for effective preventive strategies. Despite growing interest in the health benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness, its relationship with future kidney function decline remains poorly understood, particularly among individuals with preserved kidney function. To address this gap, researchers investigated whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of whole-body endurance capacity, is associated with a slower age-related decline in kidney function. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-higher-cardiorespiratory-slower-age-decline.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news706460762 Researchers from Monash University have developed miniature human kidneys from stem cells that could accelerate the search for treatments for acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden loss of kidney function that can cause severe illness and long-term kidney damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-miniature-kidneys-treatments-acute-kidney.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:40:03 EDT news706440662 High blood pressure affects nearly 1 in 8 people worldwide, and its impact goes far beyond a number on a blood pressure monitor. It can quietly damage the heart, kidneys and brain, making it one of the world's biggest preventable health threats. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-experimental-drug-reversing-high-blood.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:06 EDT news706284117 Results of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology's Phase II RadiCaL trial (Alliance A031801), the first randomized study of a radiopharmaceutical in kidney cancer, found that adding radium-223 to standard care did not improve the length of time patients went without serious bone complications (called skeletal event-free survival) in patients with advanced kidney cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-randomized-trial-radiopharmaceutical-kidney-cancer.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:00:04 EDT news706283525