Pharmacologic treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality after trauma, bleeding, hypoxia, infection, surgical procedures or nephrotoxin exposure. AKI impacts at least 10% of the hospitalized population, affects more than 10,000 children and 117,000adults annually, and causes death in 25-80% of cases.Despite the tremendous public health burden of AKI, current diagnostic techniques are inadequate, and there are no therapeutic options. Boston University/Boston Medical Center researchers have discovered a novel AKI signaling pathway involving nucleophosmin (NPM). The NPM pathway substantially contributes to AKI by regulating mitochondrial injury and renal cell death. The team has identified post-translational modifications that render NPM lethal during AKI. Interfering with the NPM pathway functions to prevent and treat ischemic acute kidney injury, and to reduce renal cell death. Thomas J McMurry tmcmurry@bu.edu 617-358-4550