How inflammatory signals make chronic kidney disease worse
Official title: Role of M1 Cytokines in the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease
Funded at Durham VA Medical Center · NIH-11264780 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether proteins in kidney tubule cells help stop inflammation (TNF and IL-1β) from making chronic kidney disease worse, using animal models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Durham VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2012 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX000893-14 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264780 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic kidney disease—especially those with tubular injury or progressive scarring (tubulointerstitial fibrosis)—would be the most likely candidates for future therapies based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without CKD or whose kidney disease is driven mainly by other processes (for example primary glomerular diseases not driven by tubular inflammation) may not benefit from findings here.
What this research studies
This work uses genetically modified mice that lack a protective protein (A20) in kidney tubule cells to see if that loss increases local inflammation and scarring. Investigators compare these mice with normal controls and expose them to types of kidney injury that mimic chronic tubular damage. They will measure inflammatory signals (TNF, IL-1β), Wnt-related signaling driven by PORCN, and the degree of kidney fibrosis and dysfunction. The goal is to learn whether boosting A20 or blocking PORCN-related pathways could eventually protect human kidneys from progressive damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce kidney inflammation and scarring and eventually slow or prevent progression of chronic kidney disease.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies, including work showing A20 reduces TNF and PORCN-mediated Wnt secretion increases fibrosis, support the biological idea, but clinical benefits in people remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Durham VA Medical Center
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Crowley, Steven D — Durham VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Crowley, Steven D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Personalized CKD-MBD care using systems biology and AI
A patient-facing program aims to tailor mineral-balance therapy for people with chronic kidney disease by using a computer model and smart decision rules to predict who will respond best to treatments.
-
Mitigating DKA in people with type 1 diabetes and kidney disease using SGLT1/2 inhibitors
This project tests a new way to prevent dangerous diabetic ketoacidosis in people with type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who are using SGLT inhibitors, by tracking ketones in real time and combining glucose-keton data for safer therapy.
-
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children: following young people as they grow up with CKD
A long-term study in kids with chronic kidney disease tracks kidney function and heart health as they transition into adulthood.
-
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children follow-up study
A long-term study that follows kids with kidney disease as they grow into young adults, collecting health data from home and official records.
-
Malaria-related kidney injury and its link to chronic kidney disease in children
This grant looks at why some children who have malaria develop kidney injury and later chronic kidney disease, focusing on how severe malaria affects the kidneys over time.
-
Boosting self-care and physical activity for older adults with chronic kidney disease
This program helps older adults with chronic kidney disease build the skills, confidence, and motivation to be more physically active.
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.