Looking back at 2025: research highlights
As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a year filled with promising new grants and exciting research findings. Here we share some of our research highlights from the year.
These successes would not have been possible without our amazing supporters and researchers, so thank you for making it happen. We look forward to another year of driving discoveries and making them count to improve the lives of people living with and at risk of kidney disease.
Read about the research we've been funding with your support.
Research identifies new treatment targets to halt loss of kidney function
In June, we shared results from a study led by Dr Bryan Conway at the University of Edinburgh, funded by Kidney Research UK. The team identified a group of kidney cells that emerge after chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI) and contribute to the loss of kidney function. They also uncovered two promising treatment targets that could stop AKI progressing to CKD and slow kidney decline in people already diagnosed. By revealing how healthy kidney cells are lost following injury, this research could guide the development of new treatments that protect patients from long-term loss of kidney function after AKI.
Could filtering blood remove a toxic substance and protect the kidneys during surgery?
Mr James Bennett, a clinical perfusion scientist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, received a Kidney Research UK allied health professional fellowship to support his PhD at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on developing a specialised filter to remove a kidney-toxic substance released by damaged red blood cells during certain types of surgery. By better understanding how the kidneys are impacted by damaged red blood cells and developing a new type of medical filter to remove the toxic product, James’ work could inform interventions to reduce the risk of AKI for patients undergoing surgery in the future.
Identifying new treatments for cytomegalovirus (CMV) after kidney transplant
Dr Emma Poole, from the University of Cambridge, received a Professor Michael Nicholson Research Project Award with Dr Sarah Hosgood, Professor Michael Nicholson (University of Cambridge) and Dr Michael Nevels (University of St Andrew’s). The funding award will enable them to test new compounds that may inactivate CMV in donor kidneys, reducing the risks associated with CMV infection in kidney transplant patients and keeping donated kidneys healthier, for longer.
Personalising treatments for focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis patients receiving a kidney transplant
Professor Alan Salama from University College London received a Kidney Research UK and Stoneygate funded Professor Michael Nicholson research project grant to develop a new test to detect the presence of harmful proteins or other compounds (known as factors) to the kidneys in patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). This will enable a better understand FSGS causes and which treatments may be most effective, with the aim of preventing FSGS from recurring after a transplant. In the future, a blood test to detect these factors could be used to screen patients before surgery, allowing doctors to remove them and better protect transplanted kidneys.
Protecting people with vulnerable kidneys with medication reviews
Mrs Cathy Pogson from Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust received an allied health professional fellowship funded by Kidney Research UK, Pharmacy Research UK and the UK Kidney Association. Cathy will develop a medication review system specific to patients with decreased kidney function who are taking multiple medications. A specialist medication review could improve safety and reduce harm from medicines, minimise the burden of taking many medicines and improve quality of life. If effective, it could also inform future studies to trial the review more widely across different hospitals.
The role of the lymphatic system in kidney transplantation: is it good or bad?
With funding from Kidney Research UK, Dr Daniyal Jafree and Professor David Long together with researchers at UCL, the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute shared results highlighting the kidney’s lymphatic vessels as an important part of the human kidney, and as active players in kidney transplant rejection. This new 3D imaging technique used here is now being applied across several other models of kidney disease and biopsies from patients, to detect changes in lymphatics at a much faster rate and understand the mechanisms that underly rejection.
Can we make the switch from kidney damage to repair?
Dr Irina Grigorieva from Cardiff University was awarded the Iris Bruton Award in partnership with Kidney Research UK to look at how a type of kidney cell could promote healing and repair to improve kidney function. By identifying which groups of cells support growth and repair, which cause scarring and understanding the underlying mechanisms, new treatment targets could be identified to try and prevent damage to the kidneys. This award will enable Irina to undertake a fellowship to progress her research career, while contributing valuable information to help identify new treatments for people with kidney disease.
Could a new blood test identify rejection earlier in kidney transplant patients?
Mr George Nita, surgeon from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and researcher in bioinformatics at the University of Liverpool, received the Kidney Research UK and Stoneygate funded Professor Michael Nicholson transplant surgeon doctoral fellowship award to look at whether a new type of blood test can identify kidney transplant rejection early. This could mean earlier interventions to help protect a new kidney from damage, and in some cases eliminate the need for biopsies which carry some risk.
Research looking at repurposing drugs to treat polycystic kidney disease shows promising new results
Earlier this year, we shared results from Professor Colin A Johnson and researchers at the University of Leeds and University of Sheffield, who received a grant from Kidney Research UK and the PKD Charity. This group have identified disease pathways in polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and shown that they can be targeted with existing drugs, aiming to get new treatments to patients faster. Following the promising results seen in this study, Colin and the team are keen to carry out additional experiments in pre-clinical models to gather as much data as possible before progressing the treatments to clinical studies.
Research uncovers genetic changes linked to developing kidney stones
Professor Sarah Howles and her team at the University of Oxford, with funding from Kidney Research UK, have discovered DNA changes that likely control people’s calcium and phosphate levels and cause kidney stones.Treating patients with existing drugs and supplements that affect calcium and phosphate levels could reduce the risk of stones forming by up to 90%. This research could enable future tests that allow a personalised approach to kidney stones by using medications that target genetic changes.
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