How the kidney's support network helps it heal after sudden injury
Official title: Importance of cell-matrix interactions in kidney repair after acute kidney injury
Funded at University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt · NIH-11252882 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether interactions between kidney cells and their surrounding support matrix help people recover after acute kidney injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Farmington, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $493,382 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK132059-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252882 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for any future patient-facing work from this program would be people who recently experienced acute kidney injury or are hospitalized with new declines in kidney function.
✕Less likely to help
People with long-standing end-stage kidney disease on dialysis or those whose kidney failure is due to non-repairable structural loss are unlikely to benefit directly from these findings in the short term.
What this research studies
This project focuses on the tiny local environment inside the kidney that surrounds injured tubule cells and how it changes after acute kidney injury (AKI). Scientists will recreate and study three-dimensional tissue environments in the lab, examine how tubular cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells communicate, and analyze the extracellular matrix that provides structural support during repair. The work combines cell and tissue models with molecular analysis to map which matrix components and cell interactions promote or hinder healing. Findings aim to point toward new ways to encourage proper repair and prevent long-term kidney damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify targets or approaches to improve kidney healing after AKI and reduce the risk of lasting kidney damage.
How similar studies have gone: Related research in other organs and early kidney models suggests the extracellular matrix influences repair, but this project takes a more detailed and 3-D-focused approach that is relatively novel for AKI.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
Farmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhou, Dong — University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
- Study coordinator: Zhou, Dong
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.