More than 1 in 7 Americans is affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can lead to serious complications including loss of kidney function. Dialysis and kidney transplants are currently the only treatment options for patients in the later stages of CKD.

Research by Kimberly J. Reidy, M.D., has suggested that kidney injury increases the expression of two enzymes, the serine threonine kinases Par1a and Par1b. Through their effects on the Notch signaling pathway, Par1a and Par1b may influence the successful repair of kidney tubules damaged in CKD. The National Institutes of Health has awarded her a four-year, $1.7 million grant to study the role of those two enzymes in kidney-tissue repair. Using mouse models of acute and chronic kidney disease, Dr. Reidy and colleagues will look at whether interfering with Par1a and Par1b signaling might help to prevent or delay the loss of kidney function.

Dr. Reidy is an associate professor of pediatrics at Einstein and an attending physician at Montefiore. (1R01DK131176-01)