Chemical modification of RNA could play key role in polycystic kidney disease

New findings suggest dietary modification and new molecular targets may control common genetic disorder

2021-04-14

(Press-News.org) DALLAS - April 13, 2021 - A chemical modification of RNA that can be influenced by diet appears to play a key role in polycystic kidney disease, an inherited disorder that is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S., UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings, published online today in Cell Metabolism, suggest new ways to treat this incurable condition.

About 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide have autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a condition caused by mutations in either of two genes, PKD1 or PKD2. These mutations cause kidney tubules - small tubes that filter blood and generate urine - to dilate, forming cysts that grossly enlarge the kidneys. In about 50 percent of patients, these cysts eventually cause kidney failure, necessitating dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Although one FDA-approved drug exists to treat PKD, it merely slows the decline in kidney function, explain study leaders END

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