Investigating the phenotype, cellular interactions, and function of kidney-resident natural killer cells in health and chronic kidney disease

Background

The kidneys clean the blood but can be scarred by infection, high blood pressure and inflammation, leading to 'chronic kidney disease' (CKD), a problem that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. We have recently found that different types of immune cells, the body's defence cells, live in the kidney. We want to understand if one type, 'NK cells' contribute to tissue scarring in CKD.

Approach

We will use samples from normal human kidneys and kidneys with CKD. We will study the genetic code and exact position of NK cells to determine where and how long they live, whether they accumulate in CKD kidneys, and if they produce chemical messengers that cause scarring. We will also use mouse models of CKD to find out if taking away NK cells or their chemical messengers reduces scarring.

Impact

This work will potentially allow us to identify new ways of treating/preventing CKD.