Renal Medicine

The Renal Section in the Division of Immunology and Inflammation is at the forefront of research into the pathogenesis of renal disease.

EPO producing cells

We comprise a diverse group of scientists and clinician-scientists with wide-ranging interests, all converging on understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of renal injury and repair.

Research

Our research ranges from basic laboratory science attempting to understand normal and abnormal cellular processes to multi centre clinical trials aimed at improving the treatment of patients with renal disease. We have significant activity in translational research, from “bench to bedside” attempting to adapt discoveries in basic science for clinical application.

We are funded by the MRC, NIHR, Wellcome Trust, KRUK, ARUK and Baxter Healthcare.

Our main interests are:

Macrophages in crescentic nephritis

Pathogenesis and treatment of glomerulonephritis specifically anti-GBM disease, systemic vasculitis, and SLE (Inflammation/Injury)

An ongoing theme of our work is to develop new approaches to treatment for glomerulonephritis, which we test in cell culture and/or animal models before considering clinical trials.

Professor Charles Pusey, Professor Terry Cook, Dr Liz Lightstone, Dr Fred Tam.

Understanding the development of diabetic nephropathy and the key role played by CTGF in this process as well as in other fibrosing renal states (Fibrosis/Repair).

Diabetic nephropathy affects 1 in 4 people who have diabetes and many of these patients require dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. We aim to understand how the kidney becomes fibrotic in diabetes and to identify new targets for drugs to prevent this.

Professor Roger Mason, Professor Charles Pusey, Dr Fred Tam

In addition we have numerous translational projects in clinical nephrology (Clinical).