Personalized care for bone disease from kidney failure
Precision medicine approaches to renal osteodystrophy
This project develops personalized ways to tell which people with chronic kidney disease need specific bone treatments to prevent fractures.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266655 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have chronic kidney disease, this work aims to improve how doctors figure out whether your bones are losing strength because of kidney-related hormone changes. Researchers will compare blood markers and new tests that focus on the outer (cortical) bone with current approaches that mainly look at inner (trabecular) bone. The team may use blood tests, imaging and specially labeled bone biopsy samples to get a clearer picture of cortical bone turnover. The goal is to match patients with the right treatments so fewer people on dialysis suffer cortical-type fractures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with chronic kidney disease, especially those on dialysis or suspected to have renal osteodystrophy, who are willing to have blood tests, imaging, and possibly a bone biopsy.
Not a fit: People without chronic kidney disease or those unwilling to undergo clinic visits, blood tests, or bone biopsy are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors choose safer, more effective bone treatments and reduce fracture risk in people with kidney failure.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work using PTH, BSAP and trabecular-focused biopsies has not cut fracture rates, so focusing on cortical bone and precision approaches is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nickolas, Thomas L. — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Nickolas, Thomas L.
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.