How urine phosphate affects kidney scarring and cyst growth in polycystic kidney disease
Impact of Phosphaturia on Renal Osteopontin Production and PKD Progression
This project looks at whether higher phosphate in the urine makes kidney damage and cyst growth worse for people with polycystic kidney disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11319358 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models of polycystic kidney disease to study how extra phosphate in the urine (phosphaturia) changes kidney signaling and production of osteopontin, a protein linked to inflammation and scarring. They will change dietary phosphate and use genetic approaches that raise urinary phosphate to see how these shifts affect cyst formation and kidney injury. The team will also look for calcium-phosphate crystals in urine and whether those crystals trigger tubular damage. The goal is to explain why high-phosphate diets worsen PKD and point toward diet or drug approaches to slow disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), especially those early in disease with preserved kidney function, would be most relevant to these findings.
Not a fit: Patients with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis are unlikely to receive direct benefit from these preclinical findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets or dietary changes that slow cyst growth and kidney damage in PKD patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have shown that high dietary phosphate can speed PKD and phosphate restriction can be protective, but focusing on urinary phosphate and osteopontin as mechanisms is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Kansas City, United States
- University of Kansas Medical Center — Kansas City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stubbs, Jason — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Stubbs, Jason
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 below.