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Nephrology Research

Major themes in the Nephrology and Hypertension research program include:

    1. Hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular outcomes

    The Division has provided major leadership for key NIH-sponsored multi-center trials, including the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) (Wright and Rahman), the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) (Wright, Rahman, Smith), and the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study (CRIC) (Rahman, Wright) that also encompasses several ancillary studies known as the Pulse Wave Velocity in Chronic Kidney Diseases Study, CRIC Plus: Study of Advanced Chronic Renal Insufficiency and CRIC-Sleep Disturbances. The CRIC Study was recently renewed for an additional 5 years. In September the division was awarded a contract for participation in the NIH-sponsored SPRINT Trial for 9 years (Wright, Rahman). The Division is also participating in the pilot version of the Coronary Artery Disease in Solid Organ Transplantation (COST) Study (Hricik).

    2. Immune monitoring of kidney transplant recipients

    The Division is a leading participant in a multi-center (U01) consortium enrolling patients into the NIH’s Clinical Trial in Organ Transplant (CTOT) initiative. CTOT1 is an observational study designed to evaluate an array of noninvasive immune monitoring tests as surrogates for long-term outcomes of kidney allografts. Preliminary results from this study were presented by Dr. Hricik in the plenary session of the 2009 American Transplantation Congress. This U01 grant was recently renewed for an additional 5 years.

    3. Signal transduction in renal epithelial cells

    This basic research program focuses on the role of the calcium sensing receptor in renal epithelial cell physiology and is supported by two VA Merit Review awards. (Miller, PI)

    4. Pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy

    Recent efforts have provided data on transcriptional profiling and functional genomics in an animal model of diabetic nephropathy.(Simonson, PI) Pending studies will focus on the pathogenic basis for fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy.

    5. Barriers to access to transplantation

    An NIH sponsored study entitled Engaging Communities and Institutions to Reduce Health Disparities in Cleveland is designed to determine whether patient navigators can improve access of hemodialysis patients to kidney transplantation. (Bodziak, Wright, Rahman - Co-Investigators)

    6. Multi-Center Trials include:

    A Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Double-Blind Comparative Study Evaluating the Effect of Ramipril on Urinary Protein Excretion in Maintenance Renal Transplant Patients Converted to Sirolimus (Augustine, PI)

    Generation of Regulatory T Cells and Correlation with Cellular Markers of mTOR Blockade after Conversion to Rapamycin (Augustine, PI)

    A Phase 2, Open-Label, Multi-Center, Randomized Trial to Demonstrate the Pharmacokinetics of LCP-Tacro Tablets Once Daily and Prograf Capsules Twice Daily in Adult De Novo Kidney Transplant Patients (Bodziak, PI)

    A Phase 3, Open-Label, Multi-Center, Prospective, Randomized Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Conversion from Prograf Capsules Twice Daily to LCP-Tacro Tablets Once Daily for the Prevention of Acute Allograft Rejection in Stable Kidney Transplant Patients (Bodziak, PI)

    A Phase 2, Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel Group, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Alefacept in de novo Kidney Transplant Recipients. (Padiyar, PI)