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A University of Cologne research team has developed a novel approach to predict how fast kidney disease is likely to progress, using just blood samples. They discovered 29 proteins that are linked to how quickly kidney function declines each year / Publication in Nature Communications
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited condition that can lead to kidney failure. Being able to accurately predict how the disease will progress is very important for selecting the right treatments and providing effective patient counselling. However, the currently available prediction tools aren't very accurate and require MRI images or genetic exams, which are not always available. A University of Cologne research team has developed a new method to identify biomarkers involved in ADPKD progression. The study “Developing serum proteomics based prediction models of disease progression in ADPKD” was published in Nature Communications.
In this study, researchers looked at proteins in the blood to see if they could do a better job of predicting disease progression. The team consists of scientists from Translational Nephrology (CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Ageing Research) and the Center for Rare and Genetic Kidney Diseases Cologne (University Hospital Cologne) led by Professor Dr Roman-Ulrich Müller, in collaboration with the Computational Biology of Ageing group at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) led by Dr Philipp Antczak. The work is the result of close collaboration between a clinician scientist, Dr Sita Arjune, and a data scientist, Hande Aydogan Balaban.
Being able to accurately predict how the disease will progress is very important for selecting the right treatments and providing effective patient counselling. However, the currently available prediction tools aren't very accurate and require MRI images or genetic exams, which are not always available. In this study, researchers looked at proteins in the blood to see if they could do a better job of predicting disease progression.
Using mass spectrometry, the team obtained a report of proteins present – the proteome - in blood samples from patients of one of the largest well-characterized ADPKD cohorts worldwide. By integrating a novel dedicated robotic pipeline to this process, they were then able to analyze more than 1000 samples and build a proteome-based prediction model. They identified 29 proteins which are involved in the immune system, fat transport, and metabolism, that are linked to how quickly kidney function declines each year.
“Our study shows that blood proteins can offer powerful clues about how fast a patient's kidney function is likely to decline, potentially allowing for more personalized care in the most common genetic cause of kidney failure, ADPKD”, said Professor Dr Roman-Ulrich Müller. The proteomics data provide not only biomarkers, but also important information about the mechanisms driving ADPKD.
“By identifying specific proteins linked to disease progression, we’ve taken a meaningful step towards more accurate and earlier prediction, beyond what current clinical tools can provide”, Müller adds.
The researchers now plan to evaluate how current therapeutic interventions influence the proteome patterns of patients and to develop novel proteome-based markers with the potential to enter and revolutionize routine clinical care.
Professor Roman-Ulrich Müller is a principal investigator at CECAD and an associated researcher at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC). Dr. Philipp Antczak is an associated Junior Researcher and member in the Career Advancement Program (CAP) at CMMC. The work was strongly supported by the CECAD Proteomics Facility and by all patients participating.
Professor Dr Roman-Ulrich Müller
+49 221 478 3439
roman-ulrich.mueller@uk.koeln.de
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61887-8
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