Steroid Resistant Nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is one of the most common genetic kidney diseases and the second most common cause of end stage renal disease in children and adolescents. Currently, there’s no cure – patients can only receive dialysis or a kidney transplant. Our goal is to use stem cell organoids to screen thousands of drugs to find potential treatments for SRNS patients.
Impact
We’re using cutting-edge drug discovery technology to test thousands of potential drugs safely and quickly. Glomeruli are one part of the tiny filters inside our kidneys – and we can grow millions of tiny glomeruli in the lab using stem cells from patients. We treat these glomeruli with different drugs and can measure how they affect important proteins.
reNEW research
Dr. Aude Dorison and her team have screened thousands of compounds and identified promising candidates that might help patients with the most common genetic mutation causing SRNS in children. They’re now testing these “hit” compounds more thoroughly to see which ones work best.
Image description
To find new treatments for kids with life threatening kidney disease, we have imaged tiny kidney models looking for drugs that may rescue them from damage. As we do this, we create millions of images that the computer uses to look for success. By arranging these tiny images, coded by colour, we have created the shape of a real kidney to remind us that the big picture is in rescuing kidneys in kids.
Credits
Emma Scully, Bioinformatician, Dr Aude Dorison, Associate Investigator, Rachel Lam, Research Assistant, Melissa Ritchie, Research Assistant, Little Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
Dr. Alejandro Hidalgo-Gonzalez, Scientific Lead, Dr. Henry Beetham, Senior Research Officer, Drug Discovery Facility, reNEW Melbourne .
