Dr. Peter Mundel, Kidney Disease Researcher May 31, 2017 by Lauren Eva Why I Do What I Do: Spotlight on Dr. Peter Mundel, Kidney Disease Researcher Dr. Peter Mundel is a physician-scientist who has spent the past 30 years studying kidney cells called podocytes, which are specialized cells with a central role in glomerular diseases like FSGS. Dr. Mundel has been an esteemed member of NephCure’s Scientific Advisory Board since 2007, and in 2011, NephCure helped fund his work by providing him with a bridge grant. A major focus of his work has been the development of new, targeted treatments for patients with FSGS and other glomerular diseases. Last year, he left his professorship at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital to lead the research of a new start-up company called Goldfinch Bio, a biotechnology company that is singularly focused on discovering and developing precision therapies for kidney disease. We spoke with Dr. Mundel about his work and what inspired him to leave academia to create new treatments for people living with FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome. NKI: How did you first become interested in studying the kidney? What is it about glomerular diseases specifically that interests you? Dr. Peter Mundel Dr. Mundel: I first became interested in studying the kidney when I was in medical school, back in Germany in the late ‘80’s. I had joined the laboratory of Dr. Wilhelm Kriz, who was one of the leading investigators in the field. At that time, there was nothing known about podocytes. They were considered passive bystanders. Everybody was thinking about mesangial cells and their role in the pathogenesis of kidney disease. So, I saw an opportunity and I entered the field and started to work on podocytes, and that’s what I focused on for 30 years since then: I got into the biology of these cells, learned about their function in health and disease, and then later of course I was trying to find podocyte-targeted therapies. But it all started 30 years ago in medical school in Germany. I still remember how I would sit with Professor Kriz in his office and we would say “one day we should develop podocyte protective medicines.” That’s what we said, and 30 years later, we’re doing it! NKI: Could you tell us about your discovery process of deciding to study a new drug? I am thinking specifically of abatacept because many people in our community are familiar with it, and I know you were instrumental in discovering its use in treating Nephrotic Syndrome. Dr. Mundel: We can definitely talk about the abatacept story, because it has good parallels, and it also helps explain what brought me to Goldfinch Bio. We identified B7-1/CD80 in podocytes, way back at my lab in Heidelberg, using differential Display PCR, a technique that allows you to monitor changes in gene expression between normal and diseased cells. We had our first paper on B7-1 in 2004 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, where we showed that B7-1/CD80 has a role in podocytes in proteinuria, in addition to its role in the immune system. We studied the role of B7-1/CD80 in podocytes for another for 10 years, and then we began studying the use of abatacept [which targets CD80/B-71] in patients. What’s interesting with abatacept is that we now know that there is a subgroup of patients that respond well to this drug. Going forward, the challenge will be in identifying with precision who are these patients for whom it will work. There is no silver bullet: not every patient with Nephrotic Syndrome and FSGS will respond to the same drug. Some people will respond to abatacept and some people will respond to some as-yet-unidentified new drug. We will need to take a precision medicine approach. Knowing this, we will now need to define patients molecularly—not by saying they have FSGS or proteinuria, but by saying they have proteinuria driven by CD80/B7-1, or by protein ‘X’ or protein ‘Y’. That is exactly what our colleagues in oncology do: when you have a mutation in BRAF [which causes, for example, skin cancer or melanoma], you get a BRAF blocker for your melanoma. At Goldfinch, we are basically bringing the oncology playbook to the kidney space. We need to figure out who will respond to which drug, and we will need to use people’s genetics to identify targets for new, specific drugs. I think abatacept was the first stop at personalized medicine. When our paper [on abatacept] came out, there was an accompanying editorial by Börje Harraldsson that said exactly that—“A New Era of Podocyte-Targeted Therapy.” There is a trial going on with abatacept right now. I’m very pleased about that, because if you see in our original New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) paper, patient number 5, this woman was on and off all kinds of drugs. But abatacept works so well for her that she is now in complete remission. And now, in her late 20’s, for the first time she has a good life; she enjoys her life. She doesn’t go from medicines with side effects to being hospitalized as she used to. I think this is a great success, because this is an idea that started in my lab almost 20 years ago. Because of this work, there is someone who really feels good and has a good life. And so as I said, the challenge now is to find all those patients who will respond to each of our precision treatments. NKI: Wow. That must make you feel incredible to know that years and years of your research led to this woman finally feeling like she could have a good life. Dr. Mundel: It’s a humbling experience. It’s very humbling that I had the privilege to have an impact on someone’s life. Because you see, I’m an MD by training, but after medical school I have only done research. But indirectly I act like a physician—I don’t treat her myself, but because of my work, she now has a better life, and I’m very happy for her. For all of our patients at NephCure that we care about with FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome, I think this is a beacon of hope. For some of them [abatacept] will work too, and for others we will now find new drugs. But it clearly shows that the overall idea of finding podocyte protective drugs is a good idea, and it can work. NKI: So in the future, how would what you’re describing work? Would patients come in to their clinician and have gene mapping done, and when the results come in, their clinician would know exactly how to treat them? Dr. Mundel: That is basically the end goal. At Goldfinch, we are building a patient registry where we will sequence thousands of patients with FSGS. This will allow us to stratify patients, so when we have a drug that we know will work for a certain pathway or mutation, we will be able to select patients who can benefit from this drug. We will be able to say, “You have a mutation in protein ‘X’, so we are giving you a drug correcting the effects of protein ‘X’ mutation.” That’s the targeted approach that we’re talking about when we refer to precision medicine. At the same time, we need to identify more causes of FSGS. The work done by Dr. Martin Pollak and Dr. Friedhelm Hildebrandt has identified a lot of these genes, and there are even more to be found. What their work shows is that there is a genetic underpinning of FSGS. At Goldfinch, we will continue that work and work closely with many academic collaborators. So to answer your question more directly, down the road what you described is exactly what we are going to bring to patients with kidney diseases. At some point, the patient comes in and they have proteinuria, and their doctor will do a genetic test. Right now, we can do it for about 70 or 80 genes [that are associated with FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome], somewhere in that ballpark. Down the road, there may be hundreds, and patients will be tested for them. And we will have different medicines, so based on the patient’s mutation, we will be able to give them a specific treatment. We will no longer give patients nonspecific steroids or cyclosporine, but instead give them a targeted medicine because we will understand exactly what’s causing the disease. That’s what we want to do at Goldfinch—bring this personalized medicine to patients with FSGS. NKI: Right, and that way they’re not wasting time cycling through drugs that aren’t working, and in the meantime, not just not having a very great life, but also heading towards end stage kidney disease. That will save a lot of time. Dr. Mundel: Exactly. That’s the other goal—we want to prevent patients with FSGS to progress to end stage kidney disease and from going on to dialysis. At Goldfinch, our goal is to prevent people from going on to dialysis or needing a transplant—to stop the disease in a specific way by addressing the root cause. NKI: This is fascinating. And before you mentioned Dr. Pollak and Dr. Hildebrandt’s work, which has been funded in part by NephCure, I was going to refer to it and say, it’s really interesting from an outsider’s view how all this research is culminating: the genetic research, and drug discovery research, and podocyte research. It seems like it’s finally all coming together. Dr. Mundel: Oh, absolutely. Let me give you a prime example. My own work has been focused on the podocyte actin cytoskeleton. Independently, over the last five or six years, geneticists identified several FSGS causing mutations affecting the podocyte cytoskeleton. We now understand the genetics of the podocyte cytoskeleton, and this dovetails with what we understand about the biology. We are living in a time when genetics and biology are coming together. When you have both, then you can have the precision and the tools to make a targeted therapy. NKI: Wow, what an exciting time to be a glomerular disease researcher. That excitement and that feeling of being just around the corner, that must have been part of what led you to leave academia. You had a very distinguished position at Harvard, and you left it to join Goldfinch Bio. That speaks volumes of your confidence in it. Dr. Mundel: It does, and I believe that what we’re doing is the right thing. I’ll tell you, when I first came to Harvard in 2010, I thought I would continue doing academic research until I die in my office. And then this amazing opportunity came. As we discussed, it’s the dovetailing of the biology and the genetics, but also the work done by Dr. Melissa Little and by Dr. Joseph Bonventre, who’s one of our founders. They showed that it is possible to make kidney organoids, which are “kidneys in a dish”. So now we have the ability to study human kidney disease, if you will, in a dish. There’s also been an explosion of technical data, where analyzing the genetic data is becoming cheaper and cheaper. And cloud computing has arrived, which we didn’t have five years ago. Now we have all the computational tools, the biological tools, the genetic tools to bring such a push to this field. It’s absolutely exciting. In 2008 we had a manuscript where we showed how cyclosporine, which is clinically used to treat NS, works on podocytes. Then we had the NEJM paper where we repurposed the drug abatacept from Rheumatoid Arthritis to patients with FSGS. Joining Goldfinch was the next logical step. I want to make new drugs targeting the causes of the diseases, and I think Goldfinch is the perfect place to do it. And as you said my confidence is reflected in the fact that I have left Harvard. I’m not on a leave of absence, I have not kept my professorship; I have shut down my laboratory and returned all my grants and funding. I want to focus on Goldfinch now, because by focusing on it we can do our best. I wholeheartedly believe in what we are doing here, and I wholeheartedly believe that we will be successful in helping our patients. They really need new treatments. There are no drugs approved in the US to treat FSGS, and the last approved therapy to treat proteinuric kidney disease occurred over 20 years ago. It is pretty much the same since I graduated from medical school in 1991 . It’s time to bring a renaissance and provide new therapies for our patients. For me there is no better mission than doing that. The goldfinch was a prominent symbol during the Renaissance, and signified hope and a new beginning. We chose to name our company Goldfinch Bio because we feel that the vision of our company is to lead a renaissance in developing new therapies for patients with kidney disease. I think it’s a sign of hope and optimism that there’s a new chapter, a new age that we are ushering in and that we want to lead. Because the patients deserve that we find good therapies for them. I’m proud to be part of the team here at Goldfinch that will do exactly that: find new therapies for patients with kidney disease. For me there’s nothing better that I can think of doing with my time. We were thrilled to speak with Dr. Mundel and learn more about his latest venture. Researchers like Dr. Mundel and many others provide us with real hope and conviction that we will one day find a cure for the diseases that cause FSGS and Nephrotic Syndrome. Since 1999, NephCure has helped provide funding for more than 50 research projects to learn more about causes and potential cures for the diseases that cause Nephrotic Syndrome. Today, these researchers are closer than ever to moving new treatments from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf. Thank you for your commitment to this work, Dr. Mundel, and all who have dedicated their lives to eliminating these rare and chronic diseases! Dr. Peter Mundel is a past awardee of the esteemed American Society of Nephrology Young Investigator Award and a distinguished investigator who lead the Mundel Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School from 2010 to 2016. In April 2014, Dr. Mundel received, jointly with Dr. Anna Greka, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a 2014 Top 10 Clinical Research Outstanding Achievement Award from the Clinical Research Forum. In 2013, he and distinguished colleagues published the first targeted treatment for proteinuric kidney disease in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Abatacept in B-71; N Engl J Med 2013; 369:2416-2423). The associated editorial in the NEJM describes their discovery as a “New Era of Podocyte-Targeted Therapy for Proteinuric Kidney Disease.” Dr. Mundel attended medical school at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the program “Experimental Kidney and Circulation Research” at the University of Heidelberg, which was funded by the German Research Foundation. He is also the author or co-author of over 86 original research articles. Dr. Mundel’s research focus has been on the makeup and function of podocytes, key cells found in each of the one million separate filtration units packed into a single human kidney.
NephCure Funded Research: Dr. Evren Azeloglu April 3, 2017 by Lauren Eva NephCure Funded Research: Dr. Evren Azeloglu Dr. Evren U. Azeloglu In 2015, Dr. Evren Azeloglu, a biomedical engineer and an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was awarded the NephCure Kidney International-ASN Foundation for Kidney Research Grant. He planned to use this grant to explore how kidney cells retain their structural integrity against mechanical injury. Much of the work done in Dr. Azeloglu’s lab involves the podocyte, the specialized kidney cell that is affected by glomerular diseases like FSGS. Podocytes play an important role in glomerular function. Together with other cells, they help form a filtration barrier in the kidney, and they cooperate with other cells to support the structure and function of the glomerulus. Below, we discuss Dr. Azeloglu’s latest research and what it means for people living with glomerular kidney diseases in our search for better treatments and a cure. NKI: You’ve recently released two articles (here and here), both from research funded in part by NephCure. Can you tell us about your latest research? Dr. Azeloglu: Well, podocytes have a very beautiful structure, and we used cutting-edge imaging technology to capture the three-dimensional geometry of these cells. This paper is essentially about how the podocyte shape is not just pretty and sophisticated, but also very necessary for their function. And their shape has certain consequences for disease: some of the glomerular diseases may be directly borne out of the fact that these cells are shaped this way. If you look at the below gif, you will see how these cells look in the body. This is the first time anyone has ever visualized them with this kind of precision. NKI: Can you elaborate on what you mean when you say that their form suits the function? Dr. Azeloglu: Well let’s say that you want to build a drawbridge, and you want to be able to have tall ships travel below or through it. So you can either spend a lot of money and build a very tall bridge that is stationary, or you can build one that opens and closes. Basically, you are proposing a “functional upgrade” to a regular bridge. Unfortunately, that comes at a cost. The bridge needs to be able to separate in the middle. Following that analogy, podocytes have this special shape that allows them to do something that no other cell can do. What we are showing in our paper is that this special shape also comes with a price: incredible fragility. This works in the same way that a drawbridge has less stability than a regular arched bridge and would not be able to sustain the same level of, for example, an earthquake. You sacrifice that stability because you want to be able to open it up. In the same way, podocytes have incredible surface area; they have this amazing structure that allows them to filter blood plasma into urine, but what we’re showing is that only at this shape, the cells start showing this incredibly fragile behavior, and even a little change of their chemistry leads to disease. This ties in very well with the current knowledge that the podocytes are sort of the first guys to fail, if you will. This is one of the reasons why, for example, diabetic patients, whose cells are under constant stress because of insulin spikes, high levels of glucose, and all sorts of other oxidizing agents, are much more likely to develop nephropathy. So, what we are trying to show here is that these cells are incredibly fragile compared to most other cells in our body. NKI: What does it mean to be a biomedical engineer studying podocytes, and from a larger perspective, kidney disease? Dr. Azeloglu: I approach kidney research from an engineer’s perspective: the same way we study machines, buildings, and structures that have to withstand physical stress, which is exactly what podocytes have to do day in and day out. What we’re looking for, and what most of the projects in my lab focus around is: can we understand what makes these cells more susceptible to physical damage, and perhaps reinforce their structure? When all’s said and done, podocytes form a filter, which has a biological function, but to achieve that function, the podocyte uses a very simple physical mechanism: forming a sieve. So we ask, can we come up with therapeutic strategies that can make the podocytes stronger and more resilient? Or can we identify how specific chemical and biomechanical assaults weaken them? NKI: So is your lab directly looking at ways to fortify the cell? Or is that something you’re laying the groundwork for, for someone else to build from. Dr. Azeloglu: To be able to fortify something, you want to be able to understand it first. There’s been a lot of science over the last two decades showing that a lot of what these cells do is basically prepare for constant physical abuse, for lack of a better word. It’s just not very pleasant to be a podocyte. It’s biologically expensive to try to maintain physical integrity. So “Part One” of my lab’s research program is: to try to understand what makes these cells unique and special, what is the repertoire of these cells for withstanding physical stress. And “Part Two” is: if we can understand it, can we eventually fortify it? Can we prevent this structure from failing under disease conditions? These cells are very fragile, and they need all the help they can get. We’re expecting them to stick around for 80 years — that’s a long time to be under constant physical abuse. Dr. Azeloglu (pictured second from left) and his Systems Bioengineering Laboratory team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. NKI: The podocyte is such a specific cell—how did you become interested in studying it exclusively? Dr. Azeloglu: Partly because of the video that you’re looking at—they’re really unique. They’re also almost a poster child of physical cellular stamina. They’re a great example of a microscopic structure that has evolved to do a very specialized physical task and do it for an extended period of time. It’s sort of a dream come true for an engineer. NKI: What stage were you at in your research when you received this award? Did it have a big impact on what you were able to do? Dr. Azeloglu: Oh, absolutely! I had just received my appointment as an Assistant Professor, and I had just started setting up my own lab. Without this, I basically wouldn’t have been able to do that. I come from a cardiac background—as a biomedical engineer, I trained in a cardiac biomechanics lab. And the heart, being a mechanical pump, is another example of a living tissue that’s doing a physically demanding job. I studied that for ten years and as I was transitioning into nephrology, the NephCure-ASN Award was critical. It helped me establish myself as an expert in this field as well. It’s sort of a rite of passage—a lot of the fellows who’ve received this award have moved on to successful careers, so it’s almost expected for you to have one to establish yourself in the field. I also think my goals and the goals of the NephCure-ASN Award align very well. I want to understand these cells from an engineer’s perspective, which I think is very relevant to their function, and if we can understand it, I think we’ll be able to cure diseases like FSGS. We’ll be able to not only help patients in terms of their symptoms, but also actually cure the disease. I’m in a pharmacology department, so I know that our standard methods can only help us so far; hopefully, this new, fresh perspective will be able to take us to the next level: instead of just dealing with the symptoms, we’ll be able to cure kidney disease. Hopefully. We were delighted to speak with Dr. Azeloglu on the results of his current research. If you want to stay updated on his work, you can follow him on Twitter (@azeloglu) or visit his lab’s website at http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/azeloglulab. Thank you for your dedication to this work, Dr. Azeloglu and team! Dr. Evren U. Azeloglu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He was originally trained as a mechanical engineer, but later went on to receive his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Columbia University. In 2010, Dr. Azeloglu was awarded the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship from the Life Sciences Research Foundation. His background in biomechanics and systems biology is uniquely positioned to study complex diseases such as hypertension and diabetic nephropathy. He aspires to design transformative therapeutic tools using nanotechnology and tissue engineering.
NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute: Worldwide Launch and US Expansion March 23, 2017 by Lauren Eva The NACI Network is expanding worldwide to speed more effective treatments to individuals with Nephrotic Syndrome Thanks to a significant funding contribution, we’re proud to announce that the NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute (NACI) Care Network is expanding. An investment from Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (PFE) and Retrophin (RTRX) will help grow the network from 8 sites to 30 sites worldwide. For patients living with Nephrotic Syndrome, more NACI sites means greater access to specialized care and trial opportunities specific to their unique kidney condition. Equally important, a more robust Network gives families across the globe a hub for community building and support at their individual care sites. NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute Global Trials Network The NACI story began in 2014, when leaders from NephCure Kidney International sought advice from leading medical professionals about ways to get better treatment options to patients faster. That following year, NKI launched NACI in partnership with the University of Michigan. Today, NACI is co-led by veteran representatives from NKI in suburban Philadelphia and an expert team from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute United States Trials Network To read more about NACI, you can view the full press release here, or visit the NACI website at www.nephcureaci.org. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please send us an email at info@nephcure.org, and we will direct your message to the appropriate party.
NephCure Funded Research: Dr. Martin Pollak’s Lab January 30, 2017 by Kylie Karley NephCure Funded Research: Dr. Martin Pollak’s Lab Through generous donations from the NephCure Kidney International community, NephCure has been able to support Dr. Martin Pollak’s kidney disease research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital) since 2007. Dr. Pollak’s lab works on identifying genetic causes of kidney diseases, like FSGS. They have made some very exciting progress over the past few years, leading to Dr. Pollak’s election into the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in 2014. Dr. Pollak’s research has identified that two common variations in the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene impart up to a ten-fold increased susceptibility to FSGS among African Americans. African Americans and others of recent African ancestry suffer disproportionately from chronic kidney disease: although they make up 13% of the U.S. population, they represent 35% of all individuals on dialysis. Other researchers have calculated that 1 in 8 African Americans are at risk for developing kidney disease due to APOL1—stark numbers that may indicate that some forms are FSGS would not be classified as a “rare disease.” But the research being done at Dr. Pollak’s lab may one day help prevent treat—and prevent—this disease from occurring. Dr. Pollak was recently featured in an article on SFGate.com as saying that “We want to put our own [kidney disease research] division out of business by preventing this disease to begin with.” We are thrilled to offer a “progress report” on this work directly from Dr. Pollak’s lab. We spoke recently with Andrea Knob, a genetic counselor, clinical research coordinator, and key player in Dr. Pollak’s study, who gave us some background on the work the study is doing, what we can expect from this lab in the future, and how you can get involved in this research yourself. Q: What is the goal of the research being done in Dr. Pollak’s lab? Andrea: The purpose of our study is to learn more about the causes of kidney conditions including FSGS, Nephrotic syndrome, unexplained proteinuria, and renal failure by studying genetics. We identify and study genetic factors that may contribute to the development of these conditions. We hope that this will further the knowledge required for scientists to develop better treatments in the future. Q: What is your role at Dr. Pollak’s lab? Andrea: I am the clinical research coordinator for Dr. Pollak’s lab. With my background in genetic counseling, I help patients and families navigate the research process, assist them in documenting their personal and family health histories, and serve as a resource for any questions surrounding genetics and research. I am the liaison between our patients/families and our physicians/scientists. Q: What do you enjoy about CKD research? Andrea: Every person and family has a story to share, and this information is so valuable and so important. It is amazing to witness this generosity, and to be a part of a team that is so dedicated to making progress in this field. Research answers the questions that otherwise would be left unknown, and that in turn provides hope. Q: What is APOL1? Andrea: APOL1 is one of several genes that we study in the Pollak lab. Variations in this gene have been found to confer resistance to trypanosomiasis, a serious disease in some African regions, and as such these variations have risen in frequency in parts of Africa. We are investigating how these gene variants contribute to kidney disease in persons of African ancestry. Q: Why did the lab decide to focus on APOL1? Andrea: APOL1 is one of several genes that we study as we try to learn more about the causes of FSGS, Nephrotic syndrome, and related conditions in patients and families. Our lab’s interest in the genetics of FSGS led us to explore the basis of the high rate of FSGS in persons of African ancestry. Certain specific variations in the APOL1 gene contribute to this disparity. Q: What impact can diagnosing an APOL1 mutation have on treatments for patients? Andrea: We need to learn more about genes, including APOL1, that may contribute to the development of kidney disease. (We also think there are more to be discovered!) Diagnosing a gene mutation helps doctors determine who might be at increased risk of developing kidney disease. While it may not affect the treatment for patients at this time, the goal is to acquire the information we need about these gene variations in order to develop better treatments in the future. Q: What is involved for patients in this study? Andrea: Participation involves a questionnaire, a saliva sample, and a urine sample (if possible) that can be given from home. (If participants prefer to give a blood sample instead of a saliva sample we can help arrange this.) Q: Who can participate in this study? Andrea: • Anyone with FSGS, Nephrotic syndrome, or unexplained proteinuria • Anyone with a family member who has FSGS, Nephrotic syndrome, or unexplained proteinuria • Anyone with African ethnicity with non diabetic kidney failure • Any healthy individual without kidney disease Andrea Knob – Genetic Counselor and Study Coordinator for Dr. Pollak’s study Q: How do I get more information about the study? Contact Andrea Knob with any study related questions by phone at 617-667-0467 or by email at aknob@bidmc.harvard.edu. You can also read more about the research study by clicking here.
Dr. Anna Greka, Kidney Researcher at Harvard, Receives PECASE from President January 30, 2017 by Kylie Karley Dr. Anna Greka, Kidney Researcher at Harvard, Receives PECASE from President In early January, President Obama honored 102 early career scientists with a Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering. It is considered the highest honor for scientists that are in the dawn of their career—the award is given to federally funded researchers that have done exceptional work in advancing their field. Dr. Anna Greka, long-time friend of NephCure and kidney disease researcher at Harvard University, was a recipient of this award. Pres. Obama praised Greka and the other recipients, saying, “These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that Federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy.” Dr. Greka received a Young Investigator Grant from NephCure in 2008, and has continued to support NS patients and families with her hard work and dedication to research. Her research lab focuses on the development of targeted therapies to treat kidney diseases like FSGS and MCD. Dr. Greka also founded the Glom-NExT conference to bring brilliant minds together and focus exclusively on finding therapies for these kidney diseases. She will also be collaborating with NephCure to host a Regional Symposium in the spring. You can read more about Dr. Greka’s lab and her work here – http://grekalab.bwh.harvard.edu You can read the full statement from the White House about the PECASE awards here.
Q&A with Dr. Kopp of the NIH December 1, 2016 by Kylie Karley Dr. Jeffrey Kopp is a physician and researcher who focuses on FSGS and related diseases. He currently leads a group in the kidney disease section (officially called the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Kopp is also working on a new clinical trial for FSGS, MCD, and MN patients at the NIH headquarters near Washington D.C. We had the awesome pleasure of sitting down and catching up with Dr. Kopp about his fascinating job and new clinical trial. Keep reading to learn more, and read about some of his other research projects here. Interview highlights: Dr. Kopp works at the National Institute of Health’s kidney branch, where he studies glomerular diseases such as FSGS and MCD. He also serves as Captain for the United States Public Health Service, and has been deployed to help with medical care during natural disasters. Dr. Kopp is leading a new clinical trial for FSGS, MCD, and MN patients at the NIH studying a compound called ManNAc as a treatment option. ManNAc is a sugar that occurs naturally in your body. Another researcher at the NIH found that mice without ManNAc developed MCD, and adding ManNAc to their diet was helpful in treating it. Therefore, it may be effective at treating MCD, FSGS, and MN in humans (Dr. Kopp describes the full mechanism below—make sure you read the article!) This study requires people to stay at the NIH for 11 days total, but it can be split up into 2 trips. Luckily, there is a lot to do to pass free time you may have at the NIH, including movie marathons, exercise programs, an art gallery, and an in-house business center. Learn more about taking part in the study by clicking here or contacting Emily Brede, RN at emily.brede@nih.gov Full interview: NKI: What is your job at the NIDDK? Jeffrey B. Kopp, M.D. Dr. Kopp: I am fortunate to lead a translational research group at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Our mission is to develop a better understanding of the disease mechanisms responsible for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and to develop more effective and less toxic therapies. I also serve in the United States Public Health Service, with a rank of Captain. My primary mission at NIH is to carry out basic and clinical research in FSGS. I also deploy for public health emergencies, such as natural disasters. Thus, I participated in the medical response to Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. SIDE NOTE: What is NIH? Dr. Kopp: The NIH is a federal biomedical research facility located in Bethesda, MD. The campus includes a 240-bed Clinical Research Center and extensive outpatient clinics. Every patient who comes to NIH participates in a research protocol. Some protocols involve novel treatments and other protocols involve giving samples for research. NIH physicians may give advice about standard therapies that can be used. There are no charges for any medical care provided by the NIH Clinical Center. NKI: What do you enjoy about CKD research? Dr. Kopp: CKD, and particularly glomerular diseases (such as FSGS), are incompletely understood, and the available therapies are not ideal. I like the challenge of understanding and treating these diseases, and most of all I like the opportunity to improve the lives of patients with these conditions. NKI: The newest clinical trial for FSGS, MCD, and MN patients at the NIH is looking at MaNAc as a treatment option. Why did you decide to study MaNAc? Dr. Kopp: A colleague at NIH developed mice unable to make ManNac. She found that these mice developed glomerular disease soon after birth. This disease resembled a human glomerular disease, minimal change disease. Providing extra ManNAc orally to the mice cured the kidney disease. This prompted the question: can we use ManNAc to induce remissions in our patients? Chemical Structure of ManNAc NKI: What is ManNAc? Dr. Kopp: Perhaps the word sounds to you like manna, the food the Israelites found in the desert and that helped sustain them. There is a tree in Europe that exudes a sweet white resin, similar to the sap of the sugar maple, and people who knew the Bible story called the tree the manna tree. A chemist found a distinctive and novel sugar in the manna resin, and he called the new sugar “mannose”. NKI: Does ManNAc occur naturally in the body? Is it found in food? Dr. Kopp: ManNAc is a natural product and essential for good health. Our food does not contain much ManNAc. Our bodies make ManNAc, which is converted in our cells to mannose. This in turn is converted to sialic acid, which is put on many proteins. All of these are sugars, but they differ from glucose in that they are not related to diabetes and they are present in very small amounts, so that they do not add calories in the diet. NKI: What is the reason for believing that ManNAc might be useful in treating glomerular diseases? Dr. Kopp: Podocytes are cells on the outside of the kidney glomeruli and serve to prevent plasma proteins from leaking into the urinary space. Many patients with glomerular diseases have lost sialic acid from the proteins on the podocyte. We think that providing extra ManNAc might promote the return of sialic acid to podocyte proteins and that this might improve podocyte function. We see some evidence in mouse models of FSGS that supplemental ManNAc in the diet helps treat these mice. NKI: What is involved for patients in this study? Dr. Kopp: Patients will provide their medical records for review by the NIDDK team. We also review the kidney biopsy materials from past kidney biopsy. No kidney biopsy is done as part of this study. If patients appear to qualify for the study, they will come to NIH for an outpatient visit for evaluation and to discuss study participation. NKI: Is travel to NIH paid for? Dr. Kopp: Travel to NIH can be arranged and provided by NIH. If overnight accommodation is needed, NIH can provide this also. NKI: Why are patients required to stay at the NIH during this study? NIH Headquarters Dr. Kopp: The study requires being an inpatient for 11 days, either as a single stay or as two stays of five and six days. The reason for the inpatient stay is allow frequent sampling of blood and urine and for safety, to be sure there are no side effects. NKI: What can patients do with any “free time” during the study? How much free time do you expect patients to have? Dr. Kopp: During the first five days, there are frequent time points for sample collection. During the second six days, samples are needed at 8 am and 8 pm. There is extensive free time that patients can use as they like. There are many activities that can help pass the time at NIH • Patient Computers combination television and computer (with Internet access) at most patients’ bedsides to provide access to games, web browsing, and personal e-mail via the Internet • Patient Library has more than more than 5,000 books, including a selection of current best-sellers, reference, foreign language, large-print, picture, and audio books • Clinical Center’s Fine Art Program has more than 2,000 works of art. Most artwork remains on permanent display throughout the hospital, but there are six galleries on the first floor that change every eight weeks. A walking tour is available to assist patients, caregivers and visitors in their enjoyment of the artwork on display. •Recreation Therapy programs include: o Arts and crafts o Music o Games and sports o Social events o Exercise o A large selection of DVD movies o Instruction in coping skills such as relaxation, enhanced communication, and stress management • Spiritual Care Department offers Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, and Protestant services in the interfaith chapel • Business Center has four PCs and four MACs (all with Internet connection) as well as a combined printer/copier/FAX and telephones are available. NKI: Who can participate in the ManNAc study? Dr. Kopp: We are recruiting adults (age ≥18 years) with a primary glomerular disease, including minimal change disease, FSGS, and membranous nephropathy, and with nephrotic range proteinuria (urine protein/creatinine ratio > 2 g/g). Exclusion criteria include having diabetes mellitus and receiving pulse therapies, such as rituximab. Monetary compensation is provided. NKI: How do I get more information about the study? Dr. Kopp: The study, like all clinical research studies, is described at clinicaltrials.gov. You also contact the study research nurse, Emily Brede, RN at Emily.brede@nih.gov
Major Breakthrough Against Rare Kidney Disease July 6, 2015 by Kylie Karley In recent news, there has been what could be a huge discovery regarding membranous nephropathy. MN is a rare kidney disease that falls under the umbrella term of “Nephrotic Syndrome.” At this point in time, there are still no successful, first-line treatments for this disease. Now, however, researchers have been able to identify the site at which antibodies bind to the kidney and cause damage in patients with MN. These findings were published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Researchers were able to create a three-dimensional model of the protein, known as PLA2R. PLA2R is a transmembrane glycoprotein, previously identified as the surface protein that allows antibodies to bind on to the kidney. By creating this 3-D model, researchers were able to narrow in and determine the specific area of the PLA2R protein that antibodies bind to. Furthermore, researchers found that small molecules, acting as competitive inhibitors, could block this site and prevent antibodies from actually attaching. So what does this mean? By knowing where antibodies bind to on the kidney, this open up new possibilities for MN treatments. There are two exciting methods that the article mentions. The first is removing antibodies from the PLA2R binding site once they are present, and the second is preventing antibodies from binding altogether. Ultimately, this article provides insight into a new path from which treatments, and even cures, for MN may come to fruition. To read more, visit: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521091747.htm
NephCure Attends National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada August 8, 2014 by Lauren Eva NephCure went to Las Vegas last week for the National Kidney Foundation’s Spring Clinical Meetings, where 3,000 nephrologists, nurses, dietitians, and social workers, among others, gathered to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice. We met with some area Nephrologists and patients and shared information around the NephCure Kidney Network Patient Registry (NKN). NephCure Scientific Advisory Board members Dr. Debbie Gipson, Dr. Daniel Cattran, and Dr. Gerald Appel were in attendance and led workshops on updates in Nephrotic Syndrome for 2014. NephCure was also one of several authors of “Understanding Decision Making in Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) from the Perspective of Patients, Parents and Providers” which was presented at the Poster Session throughout the conference. We also saw a lot of promotion for the Luis Collazo fight, which took place May 3rd at the MGM Garden Arena. Collazo was wearing NephCure in support of his friend Allie Genatt.