Modeling liver and kidney disease

In two separate studies, researchers at EPFL have carried out extensive tests to develop the best mouse models for studying kidney and liver diseases. The findings provide crucial insights into both conditions, and are expected to open up new avenues of research and treatment. "In these two studies we investigated how the mouse's genetic background affects the susceptibility to fatty liver disease and the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease," says Professor Johan Auwerx at EPFL. "These diseases affect millions of people worldwide and have currently no treatment, having faithful disease models will speed up drug development in these therapeutic areas." From kidney injury to kidney disease Kidney disease is a major global health issue, affecting over 20% of people worldwide with acute kidney injury and 10% with chronic kidney disease. Despite being largely preventable, kidney disease is both a direct cause of morbidity and mortality and a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Auwerx's group, with scientists at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, carried out a study to establish the response of seven mouse models of kidney injury, and compare both their susceptibility to acute kidney injury and the transition to chronic kidney disease. The aim was to establish a baseline for the response of the mouse strains to kidney injury.