Treatment key for kidney disease in genes

Treatment key for kidney disease in genes

BY KYLIE WILLIAMSHEALTH REPORTER
2/01/2009 8:49:00 AM

THE current treatment for end-stage kidney disease dialysis or transplantation is costly for the health system and stressful for patients.

The disease's progression varies with each patient and is influenced by modifier genes that alter the function of other genes.

Hunter Medical Research Institute researcher Dr Severine Roselli's work will identify the modifier genes involved in the disease's progression and may lead to new treatments.

Dr Roselli is researching patients with a genetic form of kidney disease, which is fairly uncommon, but said her project would lead to a better understanding of how the kidney works.

"It should provide a lot of information on the structure of the kidney," she said.

This information should then lead to new ways to treat kidney disease for those with all forms of the condition.

The Australian Kidney Foundation estimates it costs about $60,000 a year to keep one patient alive on dialysis, and one in three adults risk developing kidney disease.

"It eventually progresses to end-stage renal disease and the only treatment for that is dialysis or a kidney transplant," Dr Roselli said. "It's very costly both financially and in terms of quality of life."

The research could also help doctors identify what sort of treatment would work best for each patient.

Dr Roselli said immune suppressants were sometimes used to treat kidney disease but only some patients would respond to them.

"By screening people for mutations in their genes, we could tell whether this patient needs immune suppressants or if they won't respond to them," she said.

Her research could also lead to more effective screening and diagnosis as more genes involved with kidney disease are discovered.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/treatment-key-for-kidney-disease-in-genes/1398513.aspx