University of Pittsburgh researchers have identified urinary biomarkers with the potential to identify patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) most likely to develop end stage renal disease (ESRD).
Description
Approximately 5% of admissions to ICUs will develop severe AKI requiring dialysis. Less than 60% of patients with AKI will regain renal function within two months with many developing ESRD and requiring lifelong dialysis or transplantation. The identification of those patients most likely to recover, and those needing more advanced treatment, allows for targeted treatment of patients at highest risk. Earlier intervention and removing the risk of adverse events related to unnecessary aggressive treatment would improve outcomes in patients with a lower risk of developing ESRD.
Applications
1. Acute Kidney Injury
2. Clinical outcome prediction
Advantages
Despite the potential lifelong impacts of AKI (dialysis, need for transplantation etc.) there is currently no reliable method to predict the likelihood of recovery. This limitation can delay diagnosis and treatment for patients leading to poorer health outcomes and increased mortality.
This novel approach would allow for early prediction of kidney function recovery after AKI and allow for targeted treatment of those most at risk of not regaining kidney function. This panel of biomarkers can be used to track response to treatment, allowing for adjustment to the treatment regimen where required to improve patient outcomes.
Invention Readiness
Proteomic analysis of urine from severe AKI patients was compared with patients who had recovered from AKI (age +/- 5 years and gender-matched) and approximately 30 molecules of interest were identified. The expression of the molecules varied between these patient groups. It is of note that molecules related to cell survival and proliferation, and basement membrane and matrix proteins, were expressed in higher levels in patients who had recovered kidney function. Further work is required to validate these markers and develop a feasible panel screen that could be easily used in hospital laboratories to assess the severity of AKI in patients.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9551720
