https://medicalxpress.com/nephrology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Nephrology Chronic kidney disease affects millions of Americans, and more than 800,000 people in the United States are living with end-stage kidney disease. While kidney transplantation is widely recognized as the preferred treatment for eligible patients, offering longer survival and improved quality of life, many remain on dialysis because of organ shortages and barriers that limit access to all steps in the process of receiving a transplant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-star-annual-unprecedented-view-early.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:40:01 EDT news702901153 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 New evidence supports genetic testing of prospective Black kidney donors to see if they face elevated risks for low kidney function—a factor that could compound health issues if they donate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-genetic-black-people-donate-kidney.html Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:20:01 EDT news702022022 A common genetic mutation that helps some kidney cancers survive may also expose an unexpected weakness, one that MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researchers hope to transform into a new treatment strategy. In a study published in Cancer Research, Aguirre de Cubas, Ph.D., and colleagues have discovered that kidney cancer cells lacking the tumor suppressor gene SETD2 become highly dependent on a protein called BCL-xL for survival. By targeting that dependency, the researchers were able to selectively eliminate SETD2-deficient cancer cells in laboratory models while largely sparing cancer cells with intact SETD2. The findings identify a potential new therapeutic strategy for patients with a particularly aggressive subset of kidney cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-cancer-gene-reveals-unexpected.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:20:04 EDT news701964182 Preconception counseling (PCC) for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains underused, according to a study published in the July issue of Kidney Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reproductive-aged-women-kidney-disease.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:20:27 EDT news701963120 Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without lupus nephritis (LN) have increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and mortality, according to a study published June 16 in Rheumatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-patients-lupus-chronic-kidney-disease.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:40:04 EDT news701611795 The first-in-human fully vascularized bladder graft transplanted with a kidney has reached a promising six-month milestone, according to a new feasibility study published in The Lancet. The procedure, performed in May 2025, demonstrated technical feasibility and early functional success at six months after surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-month-results-feasibility-early-success.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 09:20:08 EDT news701511022 Short daily home dialysis (SDHD) is associated with sustained preservation of physical activity, better postdialysis recovery, and improved sleep compared with conventional in-center hemodialysis (ICHD), according to a study published online June 18 in Kidney360. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-short-daily-home-dialysis-physical.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:00:06 EDT news701447600 A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), in collaboration with the University of Zurich, has uncovered the first comprehensive map of how the anti-aging protein Klotho operates in distinct regions of the kidney, resolving long-standing scientific uncertainties about its physiological roles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-kidney-longevity-protein-revealing-segment.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:00:01 EDT news701352987 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 In Denmark, around 2,500 pregnant women develop pre-eclampsia every year. The condition typically manifests as high blood pressure and increased protein in the urine, and some women experience symptoms such as severe headaches and visual disturbances. Pre-eclampsia cannot be treated during pregnancy, and for some women it becomes necessary to induce labor early to protect both mother and child. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-women-pre-eclampsia-chronic-kidney.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:00:01 EDT news701010383 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 Belzutifan, a first-in-class drug that arose from scientific discoveries at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat some patients with earlier-stage kidney cancers in combination with an immunotherapy drug. This move marks the latest expansion of belzutifan's indications after it was originally approved in 2021. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fda-kidney-cancer-drug-belzutifan.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:00:02 EDT news700809182 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 Female patients with kidney failure are significantly less likely to be referred to a transplant center for assessment, according to a new study from ICES, London Health Sciences Center Research Institute (LHSCRI) and Western University. The disadvantage widened with increasing age. The findings were published in the May issue of the Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-gender-gap-kidney-transplant-referrals.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 21:00:01 EDT news700736667 Kidney transplantation remains the most effective treatment for end-stage kidney disease, yet a severe shortage of donor organs continues to limit access for millions of patients worldwide. With demand for kidney transplants expected to reach 5 million patients by 2030 and only a fraction of that need currently being met, researchers are exploring innovative approaches to generate transplantable organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-rat-kidneys-grown-mice-insights.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:00:12 EDT news700296866 Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that the hormone FGF23 reduces the production of red blood cells and may contribute to the development of anemia in chronic kidney disease, according to a recent study published in Blood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hormone-impacts-red-blood-cell.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:00:06 EDT news700226822 The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, along with two other leading medical organizations, have developed the first-ever guideline aimed at preventing and managing cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, an interconnected set of health conditions that significantly increase the risk of multiorgan complications and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-guideline-cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic-syndrome.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:06 EDT news700132456 An investigator at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received international recognition for innovative imaging research that may help physicians identify patients at increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) before they undergo surgery for kidney tumors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mri-method-kidney-disease.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:40:01 EDT news700215902 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 New research presented at the 63rd ERA Congress suggests that a widely used class of blood pressure medications may be associated with poorer kidney outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), even among patients already receiving modern kidney-protective treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-common-blood-pressure-medication-poorer.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news699781801 The thresholds for kidney function currently used to diagnose chronic kidney disease (CKD) reflect a true increase in the risk of serious illness, according to a study from Karolinska Institutet and Leiden University Medical Center published in JAMA. The researchers also show that risk assessment becomes more accurate when two common blood tests, creatinine and cystatin C, are combined to estimate kidney function. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-threshold-kidney-disease-accurate.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:20:05 EDT news699805021 More adults are surviving both the wait for an organ and transplant surgery, but the number of people who need transplants continues to exceed the number of organs available, especially for kidneys, according to a national analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-transplant-survival-shortages-persist-limit.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:20:08 EDT news699789181 New findings from the landmark FLOW trial, presented at the 63rd ERA Congress, show that once-weekly semaglutide significantly improved health-related quality of life in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, equivalent to around eight additional days in full health per year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-semaglutide-linked-quality-life-diabetes.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news699697921