Ishikawa et al. (Bone marrow plasma cells require P2RX4 to sense extracellular ATP. Nature. 2024;626:1102–1107 ..read more

Because of the global shortage of donor kidneys, xenotransplantation emerges as a potential solution for individuals with kidney failure who face challenges in securing a suitable donor kidney. A study featured in this month’s issue of Kidney International assesses the kidney physiology of a porcine kidney transplanted into a brain-dead human with kidney failure, demonstrating life-sustaining physiological function for 7 days. Together with preclinical nonhuman primate studies, decedent models provide complementary data for development of clinical kidney xenotransplantation ..read more

Research teams are increasingly interested in using cluster randomized trial (CRT) designs to generate practice-guiding evidence for in-center maintenance hemodialysis. However, CRTs raise complex ethical issues. The Ottawa Statement on the Ethical Design and Conduct of Cluster Randomized Trials, published in 2012, provides 15 recommendations to address ethical issues arising within 7 domains: justifying the CRT design, research ethics committee review, identifying research participants, obtaining informed consent, gatekeepers, assessing benefits and harms, and protecting vulnerable participan ..read more

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In the current issue of Kidney International, Sinha et al. present data from an open-label, noninferior, randomized controlled trial comparing 12-months of alternate-day prednisolone, given daily during infection, versus levamisole, in children with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome. This study suggests that both of these strategies are efficacious and safe. Results of this study should redefine the role of levamisole in future guidelines, and a call for global availability of levamisole should be advocated ..read more

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Adenine is 1 of the 2 nitrogenous bases that form purine nucleotides in nucleic acids. Under physiological conditions, exogenous adenine is absorbed through the intestines, metabolized into several adenine derivatives, and excreted as uric acid by the kidneys. High doses of exogenous adenine can be metabolized into 2,8-dihydroxyadenine, which is deposited as crystals in the kidney tubules or interstitium, causing tubulointerstitial fibrosis, inflammation, and tubular atrophy.1 This approach is used to generate the adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) animal model, which has been widely ..read more

We were intrigued by the article “Modulating Inflammation with Interleukin 37 Treatment Ameliorates Murine Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease,” by Zylberberg et al.1 The study focused on the therapeutic potential of interleukin 37 (IL37) in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).1 IL37, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, demonstrated promise in reducing collecting duct cyst burden by modulating the interferon signaling pathway in kidney resident macrophages.1 Notably, this modulation occurred without a concurrent increase in macrophage numbers, highlighting the nuanced ..read more

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important risk factor for cardiovascular complications. Both traditional and disease-specific risk factors contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular complications in patients with CKD.1 Vascular calcification is closely associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD,2 and addition of vascular calcification scores (especially coronary artery calcification score) to traditional risk factors improves prediction of cardiovascular risk in patients at different CKD stages ..read more

A 41-year-old male patient, who had been experiencing joint pain and weakness for the past 3 weeks, was admitted to the intensive care unit because of vasoplegic and cardiogenic shock, accompanied by multiorgan failure. Before the rapid deterioration of his clinical condition, his kidney function was normal (serum creatinine level, 89 μmol/l), with no proteinuria or hematuria ..read more