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Our Translational Research Platform for Kidney Disease

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SBH SCIENCESKidney Disease Research Center

We partner with industry and academic institutions to support drug development across a broad range of kidney disease indications by providing comprehensive disease modeling state-of-the-art functional assays, and biomarker discovery and development services.

 

Our In-Vitro Models, Biomarker Platforms, and Functional Assays

We have developed a platform of functional assays in a growing range of in vitro models to support drug development programs for key indications in renal disease drug development including:

  • Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD)
  • IgA Nephropathy (IgAN)
  • Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)
  • Lupus Nephritis (LN)
  • Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)

 

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Conditionally Immortalized Human Podocytes

  • Cytoskeletal architecture and foot process analysis​
  • Podocyte survival and detachment​
  • Podocyte mitochondrial function and metabolic stress​
  • Slit diaphragm integrity​
  • Human podocytes disease-specific readout panel

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Primary Human Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells (hPTECs)

  • Tubule injury and cytotoxicity​
  • Mitochondrial respiration and metabolism​
  • Fibrosis - TGF-β–driven fibrotic response​
  • Oxidative stress and Autophagy​
  • Tubular cell morphology
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Human Primary Kidney Fibroblasts

  • Myofibroblast activation​
  • Profibrotic signaling​
  • Kidney Inflammation ​
  • Metabolic stress and mitochondrial injury

Established GLP Validation in Renal Biomakers

As part of its expanding kidney disease focus, SBH Sciences has already completed GLP validation of nine kidney-specific biomarkers. These assays have been optimized for precision, sensitivity, and reproducibility to support regulated development pathways.

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Validation Parameters

  • Precision
  • Linearity (Accuracy)
  • Sensitivity
  • Reproducibility
  • Stability
  • Specificity (Cross Reactivity)
  • Interference (Matrix Effect)
  • Reference Range

Case study examplesBiomarker Difference Analysis Between Healthy and Diseased Patients

Click the tabs to see data from different biomarkers. 

See below for our full list of biomarkers we can test.

Biofluid Protein Biomarkers

Biomarker Indication Biofluid
Nephrin (NPHS1) Glomerular Injury Urine
Podocalyxin (PODXL) Glomerular Injury Urine
APOL1 protein Glomerular Injury Urine/Plasma
Synaptopodin Glomerular Injury Urine
KIM-1 (HAVCR1) Proximal Tubule Injury Urine
NGAL (LCN2) Proximal Tubule Injury Urine/Plasma
Clusterin Proximal Tubule Injury Urine
IL-18 Proximal Tubule Injury Urine
NAG Proximal Tubule Injury Urine
PRO-C3

Fibrosis and Remodeling

Plasma
PRO-C6 Fibrosis and Remodeling Plasma
TIMP-1 Fibrosis and Remodeling Plasma/Urine
MMP-2/MMP-9 Fibrosis and Remodeling Plasma/Urine
Galectin-3 Fibrosis and Remodeling Plasma
CTGF (CCN2) Fibrosis and Remodeling Plasma/Urine
CCL2 (MCP-1) Inflammation/Immune Urine
CXCL10 (IP-10) Inflammation/Immune Urine
sCD163 Inflammation/Immune Urine
IL-6 Inflammation/Immune Urine

Kidney-Specific Urinary Extracellular Vesicle (EV)-Based Biomarkers

Cell of Origin Disease
Podosin (NPHS2) Podocyte FSGS, DKD
Synaptopodin Podocyte FSGS, DKD

WT1

 Podocyte DKD, IgAN

Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase α1 (ATP1A1)

Proximal Tubule 

 DKD
NCC (SLC12A3)

Distal tubule

CKD

AQP1

 Proximal tubule DKD, ADPKD

AQP2

 Collecting duct ADPKD

miR-21

 Fibroblast EV CKD fibrosis

miR-29

Fibroblast EV

 Anti-fibrotic response
miR-192 PTEC EV DKD metabolic stress
miR-146a Immune EV LN, IgAN