Research directions
Role of inflammatory Dendritic cells (DCs) and Monocyte-derived DCs (ModDCs) in glomerular diseases
Introduction
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been recognized as a major public health problem worldwide, with glomerular diseases being the third most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). There is convincing evidence that most causes of GN are immune (e.g. autoimmunity) mediated, however, the differential diagnosis of GN is broad and treatment of the various forms of GN is complicated. Invasive renal biopsy is often required to determine the aetiology and prognosis of GN, which significantly increases the burden of GN on the healthcare system.
For many years, our laboratory has focused on studying the role of dendritic cells (DCs), which have been recognised to play a pivotal role in determining the fate of inflammation. Different subsets of DCs and monocyte-derived DCs have been described, but they are, as yet, poorly studied cells in humans.
The clinical question:
Could DCs and ModDCs analyzed in blood and urine samples be useful for the differentiation of glomerulonephritis of different origins?
Aim of the project
Our research goal is the identification, quantification and functional characterization of ModDCs and DCs in blood, urine and biopsy samples in patients diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. The inflammatory pattern of DCs will be correlated to the different forms of glomerulonephritis.
Significance
The identification of non-invasive biomarkers to predict different glomerulonephritis is a critical need in the field. This project will provide important new insights into the immunological function of inflammatory DCs. Moreover, it will help to understand whether they play a role in initiating or maintaining inflammation, and if so, determining their frequency will enable association with specific forms of glomerulonephritis, evaluation of the state of inflammation and assessment of the efficacy of specific treatments.
