Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with a high mortality and morbidity and AKI survivors often develop end stage renal disease. At present, there are no established therapies to prevent renal injury or accelerate the rate of renal recovery following AKI. The consequences of abnormal kidney function are frequently fatal, with dialysis and organ transplantation the only current long-term treatments for kidney disease. Importantly, the vertebrate kidney has the potential to regenerate, but the molecular mechanisms of kidney regeneration are largely unknown. A better understanding of the processes controlling renal regeneration after injury may provide important clues for the development of new therapies.

The Huckriede lab is in the Department of Developmental Biology at the University of Pittsburgh.