Understanding a Key Molecule in Kidney Healing
Kidney Injury Molecule-1 in Epithelial Repair
This research explores a molecule called KIM-1 to understand its role in how kidney cells respond to injury and heal.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176074 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a protein that becomes highly active in kidney cells when they are injured or develop certain conditions like cancer. Researchers have found that KIM-1 can act like a 'clean-up crew,' helping kidney cells remove damaged material. While this initial clean-up is helpful, long-term activity of KIM-1 might actually contribute to chronic kidney disease and related problems such as high blood pressure and heart issues. This project aims to understand both the beneficial and harmful aspects of KIM-1 to find new ways to protect kidneys from long-term damage. They are also studying how KIM-1 helps detect kidney injury and predict how kidney disease might progress.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to help those with acute or chronic kidney injury by improving understanding and future treatments.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical intervention would not find direct benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to detect kidney injury earlier and develop treatments that prevent or slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
How similar studies have performed: KIM-1 has already been qualified by the FDA as a biomarker for kidney safety studies, indicating prior success in its identification and initial characterization.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bonventre, Joseph Vincent — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Bonventre, Joseph Vincent
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.