Research Description
Major progress has been made in identifying predictors of kidney disease progression in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), including proteins that can be measured non-invasively in blood. Unfortunately, however, these powerful ‘biomarkers’ have not translated to clinical practice and are not widely used to improve individual risk prognostication. While there is great hope that assessing these and other predictive biomarkers will improve kidney disease progression risk stratification, a key feature that has yet to be considered in current prognostic models, and one that is critical to advancing ‘Precision Diagnostics’ in diabetic kidney disease, is the contribution of genetic factors on the levels of these biomarkers. As part of a pilot study, we found that circulating levels of one biomarker are strongly influenced by a genetic variant near the gene that encodes this protein. Importantly, inclusion of this biomarker in risk stratification strengthens predictive power of kidney disease progression compared to use of this biomarker alone; highlighting the added value of genetics to improve prognostication in individuals with DM who are at risk of kidney disease progression. With support of this Innovative Clinical Science Award, we will not only define key genetic drivers of circulating biomarkers of kidney disease progression in diabetes (Specific Aim 1), critical information that will help to better understand the biology underlying these biomarkers, but, additionally, we will incorporate these genetic markers to improved prediction models that will better identify and stratify individuals who are at risk of progression of renal decline (Specific Aim 2).Research Profile
What area of diabetes research does your project cover? What role will this particular project play in preventing, treating and/or curing diabetes?The primary focus of my research is to understand the basis of diabetes and diabetic complications. The goal of this project is to understand the genetic factors that influence biomarker of kidney disease and to leverage these to improve risk stratification.
If a person with diabetes were to ask you how your project will help them in the future, how would you respond?Our goal is to leverage genetics and current biomarkers of kidney disease to help predict who is at risk of developing diabetic kidney disease.
Why important for you, personally, to become involved in diabetes research? What role will this award play?I have personally been involved in diabetes research for more than 20 years and, while I've seen great progress in this field, we are in a particularly exciting time where we can leverage state-of-the-art technologies to bring the promise of Precision Medicine to individuals and families with diabetes and improve diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of diabetes and its complications. I believe this award is an important step in this direction and am hopeful that we can continue advancing this area and soon translate these research finding to improve clinical care for those with diabetes.
In what direction do you see the future of diabetes research going?I am exciting to see diabetes research incorporating state-of-the-art technologies to better understand the basis of this disease and its complications in ways that were previously not possible; this research is allowing us to move toward a Precision Medicine approach in diabetes care.