Research Finds Possible Cause for PKD

A protein previously shown to play a role in inflammation might also be a cause of renal cyst formation in 15 percent of ADPKD patients. Inhibition of the formation of this protein, FIP2, may also become a possible target of therapy to slow or stop cyst formation.

A research team at Kansas City-based Stowers Institute found that a protein previously shown to cause inflammation also disrupts PC2, the product of the gene that mutates in some PKD patients, causing the formation of cysts.
"We believe that this interaction could play a significant role in the transition from normal tubule development to the onset of polycystic kidney disease in individuals predisposed for the disease," Xiaogang Li, senior research associate in the Rong Li lab, said in a release.

The team also found that the drug etanercept, an inhibitor that is currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and a number of other conditions, prevents the formation of cysts in the kidneys of mice with ADPKD. 

“This discovery is especially exciting because it not only provides insight about the origins of ADPKD, but it also points us toward a drug that we believe shows promise in preventing the development of cysts,” said Investigator Rong Li, Ph.D. “Of course, additional research will be required to test these preliminary results in animal models, but the potential is interesting.”

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