Kidney-made aldosterone and its effect on high blood pressure and kidney damage
Official title: The function and regulation of intrarenal aldosterone synthase in ischemia-induced hypertension and renal injury
Funded at VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · NIH-11206882 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether aldosterone produced inside the kidney makes blood pressure worse and causes kidney damage for people with hypertension and kidney disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2020 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004871-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11206882 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with hypertension—particularly resistant or renovascular hypertension—or people with chronic kidney disease would be the most likely candidates to benefit from therapies informed by this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without blood pressure or kidney problems, or whose conditions arise from unrelated causes, are unlikely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
Researchers use genetically modified mice that lack the enzyme CYP11B2 in kidney tubule cells to see how locally produced aldosterone affects blood pressure and kidney injury. They induce renovascular hypertension (2-kidney, 1-clip model) to mimic reduced kidney blood flow and study resulting damage. The team examines molecular signals that control intrarenal aldosterone, including site-1 protease cleavage of the (pro)renin receptor and release of soluble PRR. The goal is to learn if blocking aldosterone made in the kidney could protect the kidney and lower blood pressure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to block kidney-specific aldosterone production to help lower blood pressure and prevent kidney injury.
How similar studies have gone: Systemic mineralocorticoid receptor blockers are already used clinically and a CYP11B2 inhibitor (baxdrostat) showed promise in trials, while targeting aldosterone produced within the kidney remains a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Tianxin — VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Yang, Tianxin
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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.