Patients with Alport syndrome progressively lose renal function as a result of defective type IV collagen in their glomerular basement membrane. In mice lacking the alpha3 chain of type IV collagen (Col4A3 knockout mice), a model for Alport syndrome, transplantation of wild-type bone marrow repairs the renal disease. It is unknown whether cell-based therapies that do not require transplantation have similar potential. Here, infusion of wild-type bone marrow-derived cells into unconditioned, nonirradiated Col4A3 knockout mice during the late stage of disease significantly improved renal histology and function. Furthermore, transfusion of unfractionated wild-type blood into unconditioned, nonirradiated Col4A3 knockout mice improved the renal phenotype and significantly improved survival. Injection of mouse and human embryonic stem cells into Col4A3 knockout mice produced similar results. Regardless of treatment modality, the improvement in the architecture of the glomerular basement membrane is associated with de novo expression of the alpha3(IV) chain. These data provide further support for testing cell-based therapies for Alport syndrome.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2009010123 | DOI Listing |
Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens
January 2025
The University of Melbourne Department of Medicine (Melbourne Health and Northern Health), Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, AUSTRALIA.
Purpose Of Review: The recent widespread availability of genetic testing has resulted in the diagnosis of many more people with Alport syndrome. This increased recognition has been paralleled by advances in understanding clinical consequences, genotype-phenotype correlations and in the development of new therapies.
Recent Findings: These include the international call for a change of name to 'Alport spectrum' which better reflects the diverse clinical features seen with autosomal dominant and X-linked Alport syndrome; the demonstration of how common Alport syndrome is in people with haematuria, proteinuria, or kidney failure; the inability of current genetic testing to detect all pathogenic variants in suspected Alport syndrome; the different genotype-phenotype correlations for autosomal dominant and X-linked disease; and the novel treatments that are available including SGLT2 inhibitors for persistent albuminuria despite renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockade, as well as early studies of gene-modifying agents.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, Rajasthan, India. Electronic address:
Recent advances in CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionised the study and treatment of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), lupus nephritis (LN), and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). CRISPR-Cas technology offers precise and versatile tools for genetic modification in monogenic kidney disorders such as PKD and Alport syndrome. Recent advances in CRISPR technology have also shown promise in addressing other kidney diseases like AKI, CKD, and DKD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNephrol Dial Transplant
January 2025
Department of Nephrology, Kidney Transplantation and Dialysis, CHU Lille, University of Lille, Lille, France.
Background And Hypothesis: Unlike X-linked or autosomal recessive Alport Syndrome, no clear genotype/phenotype correlation has yet been demonstrated in patients carrying a single variant of COL4A3 or COL4A4.
Methods: We carried out a multicenter retrospective study to assess the risk factors involved in renal survival in patients presenting a single pathogenic variant on COL4A3 or COL4A4.
Results: 97 patients presenting a single pathogenic variant of COL4A3 or COL4A4 were included.
Orphanet J Rare Dis
January 2025
Ophthalmology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra (HUC), ULS Coimbra, Praceta Prof. Mota Pinto, 3000-075, Coimbra, Portugal.
Background: Syndromic genetic disorders affecting vision can also cause hearing loss, and Usher syndrome is by far the most common etiology. However, many other conditions can present dual sensory impairment. Accurate diagnosis is essential for providing patients with genetic counseling, prognostic information, and appropriate resources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCan J Kidney Health Dis
January 2025
Multiorgan Transplant Program, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Background: Kidney failure is a prevalent condition with tendency for familial clustering in up to 27% of the affected individuals. Living kidney donor (LKD) transplantation is the optimal treatment option; however, in Canada, more than 45% of LKDs are biologically related to their recipients which subjects recipients to worse graft survival and donors to higher future risk of kidney failure. Although not fully understood, this observation could be partially explained by genetic predisposition to kidney diseases.
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