Developing a Comprehensive Biomarker Package for Detecting Drug-Induced Injury in Podocytes

Presented at the CKD Summit 2023

Drug-induced damage to the kidneys is a key contributor to the development of multiple kidney pathologies, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is characterised by the progressive loss of kidney function. A main mechanism of drug-induced toxicity is through damage to kidney cells known as podocytes. Podocytes are specialised epithelial cells that form cytoplasmic projections called foot processes which interdigitate to form a sieve-like barrier for the size-selective filtration of blood. Due to continuous contact with the bloodstream, podocytes are especially susceptible to drug toxicity via prolonged exposure to xenobiotics, and this damage can lead to impaired barrier integrity, causing issues such as proteinuria.