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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

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