Renal Diseases

The Renal Division at Washington University is part of the Department of Internal Medicine and was created as a separate entity in 1956. Equipment as well as support personnel is available for the execution of sophisticated research. Internationally recognized senior faculty members provide a rich environment for renal clinical investigation. The free flow of ideas and expertise across divisional and departmental boundaries is a hallmark of the Medical Center and encourages collaboration between clinical and basic scientists.

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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A pacemaker for blood pressure? Researchers evaluate iPod-sized device for hard-to-treat high blood pressure May 27, 2009 -- Similar to a pacemaker, the iPod-sized device is implanted under the skin near the collarbone. Some 15 million Americans have high blood pressure that can't be controlled with medication, leaving them at high risk for early death, stroke, heart disease or kidney failure. Researchers at the School of Medicine are evaluating whether an investigational device can help these patients keep their blood pressure in check.

Precious gift Grad student's kidney gives life to stranger March 9, 2009 -- Last year, Chuck Rickert, a fifth-year student in the M.D./Ph.D. program at the School of Medicine, heard a show about kidney donation on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation." One of the callers, a man in his 50s on dialysis, said his blood type did not match any friends or family, and his only option for a new kidney was to wait for something bad to happen to a younger person. The distressed man's call stuck with Rickert, who eventually decided to anonymously donate one of his own kidneys.

Avoiding vascular calcification Readily available treatment could help prevent heart disease in kidney patients April 17, 2008 -- The estimated 19 million Americans living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face a high risk of death from cardiovascular disease, usually related to high levels of blood phosphate. Now researchers at the School of Medicine have demonstrated that high blood phosphate directly stimulates calcification of blood vessels and that phosphate-binding drugs can decrease vascular calcification.

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Faculty Experts:

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Marc Hammerman Chromalloy Professor of Renal Diseases in Medicine Hammerman is a leader in the emerging field of organogenesis, which focuses on growing organs from stem cells and other embryonic cell clusters known as organ primordia. Unlike stem cells, which can become virtually any cell type, primordia are locked into becoming a particular cell type or one of ... Expertise: Organogenesis, organ, transplant, kidney, pancreas, diabetes, kidney failure, … Media assistance: (314) 286-0122 / purdym@wustl.edu

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Related News Clips:

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New hope for folks with high blood pressure USA Today March 31, 2009 -- As many as 25 million people who can't beat high blood pressure no matter how many drugs they take may soon have a couple of new options, including a new kind of pacemaker that contains sensors that regulate blood pressure, according to a report by WUSTL renal specialist Marcos Rothstein.

Cutting Phosphate May Protect Kidney Patients From Heart Trouble The Washington Post and 11 others April 24, 2008 -- Readily available phosphate-binding drugs could help prevent heart disease in people with chronic kidney disease, a new study in the the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology finds. WUSTL researchers led by pediatric nephrology specialist Keith Hruska and pediatrics instructor Suresh Mathew comment.

Study Urges Caution on Anemia Drug Use Associated Press Online and 55 others April 18, 2007 -- A flawed Medicare payment plan encourages aggressive use of a risky and costly anti-anemia drug on many kidney dialysis patients, say researchers who warn the system should be changed. In an accompanying editorial in JAMA, WUSTL renal expert Daniel Coyne said kidney doctors who work with dialysis centers may not know they are "making dubious dosing decisions" because they sign multipage standing orders and turn over anemia management to chain employees.

Doctors' Ties to Drug Makers Are Put on Close View The New York Times and 3 others March 21, 2007 -- A 2002 survey found that more than 80 percent of the doctors on panels that write clinical practice guidelines had financial ties to drug makers. This article looks at the serious conflict of interest problem that arises when drug companies pay for drug research. WUSTL professor and kidney specialist Daniel Coyne recently wrote an editorial in an influential journal decrying guidelines written last year by the kidney foundation that encourage doctors to use more of Amgen's drugs to treat anemia in kidney patients despite studies showing that increased use led to more deaths.

Study finds link between kidney damage, cardiac problems Associated Press and 34 others April 1, 2005 -- People with kidney damage are prone to a chain reaction that increases their risk of heart problems, the leading cause of death among kidney patients. WUSTL researchers, led by senior investigator and nephrology professor Keith Hruska, hope these findings, which will appear in the April issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, will create new possibilities for treating kidney patients suffering from heart-related problems.