Researchers have discovered six new biomarkers that can more quickly and accurately identify kidney injuries, enhancing the safety of drug development and improving patient health outcomes. These biomarkers may provide a more sensitive alternative to current methods of monitoring kidney function, leading to more manageable treatment options.
Kidney damage caused by drugs, known as nephrotoxicity, is a frequent issue in medical practice that occurs when medications harm the kidneys. This problem can arise from anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiretroviral, or chemotherapy drugs, potentially resulting in the need to halt or limit treatment for patients. Recently, researchers have pinpointed six new biomarkers that could facilitate faster and more sensitive detection of kidney injuries, promoting safer drug development and enhancing health outcomes for individuals.
The results of this study were recently published in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Sushrut Waikar, MD, MPH, the leading author of the study, mentions that these new biomarkers may provide a more nuanced approach compared to the existing methods for monitoring kidney function, potentially leading to more acceptable treatment options.
“Current biomarkers can be insufficiently responsive in indicating early kidney injury,” states Waikar, who is the Chief of Nephrology and Interim Chair of Medicine at Boston Medical Center. “These newly identified biomarkers, which can be detected in urine, have the potential to alert healthcare providers to kidney damage within 24 hours of the injury, allowing for timely monitoring during drug development and improved care for at-risk patients in clinical environments.”
The research team evaluated the urinary protein levels in both healthy volunteers and patients receiving a chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma known to have harmful effects on the kidneys.
The six biomarkers discovered primarily originate in the kidneys in response to injury or inflammation, enabling quicker detection of kidney damage compared to traditional blood tests, such as serum creatinine, which may take days to show abnormal results.
The research team aims to investigate whether these biomarkers can be more widely utilized to monitor kidney health in clinical trials.
By identifying kidney damage earlier, doctors could take action sooner, decreasing the chance of long-term harm and enhancing patient outcomes in various settings. “These biomarkers have significant potential to transform how we monitor kidney health and manage patients vulnerable to kidney injury,” remarks Waikar, who also holds the position of Norman G. Levinsky Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. “We are optimistic that these findings will lead to improved strategies for maintaining kidney function, enhancing patient care, and fostering safer drug development.”
Waikar serves as a consultant on nephrotoxicity biomarkers for Vertex, PepGen, and Ikena.
