Kidney disease linked to silica exposure
Silica Nephropathy and Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology
Looks into whether tiny silica particles from burning crops are causing chronic kidney disease in farm workers and nearby communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11401201 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are measuring nanoparticle silica in the air during crop burning and testing for silica in urine and kidney biopsies from affected people. They follow sugarcane and other agricultural workers across harvest seasons to track changes in body silica levels with exposure. The team also exposes animals to inhaled silica or crop ash to see if the same type of kidney damage develops. Findings from human samples, worker monitoring, and animal models will be compared to understand if airborne silica explains these regional kidney disease outbreaks.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are agricultural workers or residents in areas with crop burning (for example sugarcane harvest regions) and people with chronic kidney disease of unknown cause who can provide urine samples or biopsy data.
Not a fit: People whose kidney disease is clearly caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, or inherited kidney disorders and who have no history of agricultural smoke exposure may not benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If silica is confirmed as a cause, the work could lead to exposure-reduction steps that prevent new cases of CKDu and protect agricultural workers.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work by this team found higher silica nanoparticles in CKDu biopsies, rising urine silica in sugarcane workers, and kidney injury in animals exposed to inhaled silica, providing supportive preliminary evidence though human causation remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Jared Michael — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Brown, Jared Michael
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.