A device to predict severe acute kidney injury
Official title: A Device for Detection of Acute Kidney Injury
Funded at Nephsmart LLC · NIH-10919989 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new device that can help doctors predict if patients are at risk of serious kidney problems by looking at certain proteins in their urine, making it easier to manage their care and improve their treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nephsmart LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $274,415 |
| NIH project number | 1R41DK138646-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10919989 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include patients who are at risk of developing severe acute kidney injury, particularly those with mild to moderate AKI.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with no history of kidney issues or those who are not at risk for acute kidney injury may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a device that can predict the risk of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients. By analyzing specific protein cleavage patterns in urine, the device aims to differentiate between patients who will experience severe AKI and those who will not. The approach involves creating a point-of-care test that can provide timely predictions, potentially improving patient management and treatment outcomes. The research is based on preliminary findings that suggest this method could be both sensitive and specific in identifying at-risk patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to earlier interventions for patients at risk of severe acute kidney injury, potentially reducing the need for dialysis and improving overall kidney health.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using biomarkers for predicting kidney injury, but this specific approach utilizing protein cleavage is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Nephsmart LLC
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arthur, John M. — Nephsmart LLC
- Study coordinator: Arthur, John M.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
SEAK Alliance: Improving Care for AKI Patients in the Southeast
A national, patient-centered effort to improve post-hospital care for people who had acute kidney injury in the Southeast.
-
AKI-related delirium after heart surgery
This grant funds research to understand why some people develop delirium after heart surgery when they also have acute kidney injury.
-
Better ways to identify types of sudden kidney injury in U.S. Veterans
Researchers are looking for genetic and health patterns that define different types of sudden severe kidney injury in Veterans to help guide future care.
-
Neuroimmune control of kidney injury using noninvasive ultrasound
A new approach uses targeted ultrasound to gently stimulate nerves and immune signals to help the kidney recover after injury.
-
Structure-based approach to prevent kidney injury from polymyxin use
Aims to block how polymyxin damages the kidney so it can be used more safely to treat hard-to-kill infections.
-
Using smart computer predictions to prevent kidney injury after heart surgery
A machine-learning approach uses routinely collected hospital data to predict who might develop acute kidney injury after heart surgery, so clinicians can act early.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.