How kidney filters and tubules recover after sudden injury
Official title: Glomerular and Tubular Function in the Recovering Kidney
Funded at Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego · NIH-11238866 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how the kidney's tiny filters and tubes change as they heal after a sudden injury to help people recovering from acute kidney damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $437,567 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK132690-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238866 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have recently experienced acute kidney injury or are in the early phase of recovery would be the group most likely to benefit from findings of this work.
✕Less likely to help
People with long-standing end-stage kidney disease on dialysis or with kidney problems unrelated to sudden injury are unlikely to see direct benefits from this basic science project.
What this research studies
If you've had sudden kidney injury, this project uses detailed experiments in rats to watch what happens at the tiny-filter (glomeruli) and tubule level as the kidney heals, because those microscopic changes can't be seen in people. The team measures how much fluid the kidney filters, how tubules handle salts and amino acids, and how blood pressure or common medicines and diets affect a recovering kidney. They use specialized techniques available to them in animal models to link microscopic events to whole-kidney function. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities that make kidneys prone to long-term decline and point toward treatments or care changes that could speed safer recovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific treatments, blood pressure targets, or diet/medication advice that help kidneys recover faster and reduce long-term damage after acute kidney injury.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies have previously offered important insights into kidney injury, but directly linking microscopic filter and tubule behavior to whole-kidney recovery in this focused way is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomson, Scott Culver — Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
- Study coordinator: Thomson, Scott Culver
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.