Targeting kidney fibrosis in iPSC derived kidney organoids
| Title | Targeting kidney fibrosis in iPSC derived kidney organoids |
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| Acronym | FibroTarg |
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| Sponsor | European Research Council - Proof of Concept (ERC-PoC) |
| Institution | Universitätsklinikum Aachen |
Associated cell lines
Project Description
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease that is prevalent in 10% of the developed world and develops as a result of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, glomerulonephritis or acute kidney injury. Over time, CKD can progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD); a condition that can only be treated through hemodialysis or kidney transplantation, posing a severe medical, societal and economic challenge. Fibrosis is recognized as a key pathological mechanism in CKD, responsible for slowly destroying the tissue architecture of the kidney. Current therapies for CKD alleviate symptoms of the disease by controlling hypertension and hyperglycemia, but, while fibrosis is as a promising therapeutic target, no antifibrotic therapy for the kidney have reached the clinic. Hence, there is an urgent need for disease-modifying and curative treatments that can halt fibrosis. In FibroTarg we will target kidney fibrosis in organoids using small molecule inhibitors of myofibroblasts