Scientists Have Found A Key For A New Kidney Disease Cure

Kidney disease is a very serious health condition which affects a great number of people around the globe. This serious disease is linked to gradual loss of kidney function in the body, and it tends to grow into a chronic health condition in most of those who suffer from it. Unfortunately, it is very hard to diagnose this disease on its early stages, and on the latest stages of its progression, kidney disease symptoms include pains, problems with urination (up to the absence of urine output), weakness, fatigue, nausea, insomnia, swelling of the feet, and others.  Till modern times, there is no effective kidney disease cure, and the existing treatments include kidney transplant surgery, or using certain medications to relieve kidney disease symptoms.

It was reported a month ago that a team of experts from Mount Sinai School of Medicine managed to identify a component, a regulator protein that is supposed to be linked to chemical processes in kidneys causing renal fibrosis or kidney fibrosis. This health condition is considered one of the most serious sicknesses related to kidney function which causes significant morbidity and mortality. Renal fibrosis was thoroughly studied by a group of scientists during a research led by Professor H. William Schnaper at the Medical School of Northwestern University, and the findings of this extensive study were published in January 2003 in Frontiers In Bioscience.

The newly released findings were received by Mount Sinai scientists after analyzing kidney disease symptoms and development in three groups of mice. One of the groups was treated with high doses of folic acid to stimulate kidney fibrosis development, other group has genetic predisposition to developing kidney disease as a result of HIV viral protein incorporating into the genomes, and the third group has impaired function of one of the kidneys (by blocking kidney filtration). After collecting and analyzing genetic material from the mice of all three groups, the scientists found out that a protein regulator known as HIPK2 was very active in those mice who developed kidney fibrosis due to one of three related factors: genetic, natural, or physical.

The effects of HIPK2 on kidneys were studied, and the scientists managed to slow down the development of kidney fibrosis and even slightly relieve the condition by blocking the activities of HIPK2 protein in affected kidney tissues. The experts hope tat their findings will help to create a new treatment to relieve kidney disease symptoms and possible reverse the disease. John Cijiang He, one of the study leaders and a health care practitioners commented on the findings of his colleagues as the following: “Our findings have important implications for people with kidney diseases, patients I treat every day. Protein kinases like HIPK2 are highly effective therapeutic targets. We look forward to exploring this further.” Read more about the findings of this study and a potential for developing a new kidney disease cure in one of the latest issues of Nature Medicine magazine.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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