ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Please note that you are viewing an archived section from 2020 and some content may be unavailable. To unlock all content for 2020, please visit the archives.

Abstract: INFO11

NUGoKidney Research Cores: Paving the Way for Breakthroughs in Kidney Therapeutics

Session Information

Category: CKD (Non-Dialysis)

  • No subcategory defined

Authors

  • Sipocz, Ashley, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Oliver, Guillermo, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Kapitsinou, Pinelopi P., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Isakova, Tamara, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Alvarez, Angel, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Schnaper, H. William, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Shah, Sanjiv, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Quaggin, Susan E., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Group or Team Name

  • NUGoKidney
Description

Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Northwestern University George M. O’Brien Kidney Research Core Center (NUGoKIDNEY) supports innovative research and cross-cutting collaborations between basic and clinical scientists to advance the discovery of novel therapeutics for patients with kidney diseases.

The Center unites investigators across three Cores: Pre-Clinical Models Core (A), Therapeutics Design and Development Core (B), and Clinical and Translational Core (C). Core A offers resources and consultation services to develop state-of-the-art preclinical kidney disease models to identify and test new therapeutic targets. This includes access to over 30 in-house mouse genetic models, concierge genome editing services, and services enabling generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with kidney diseases. Core B brings together the expertise and cutting-edge techniques of Northwestern’s research infrastructure to offer centralized consultation and services focused on nephro-therapeutics development and spans concept and design of small molecular drugs, nanoparticles and therapeutic cells through in vitro validation and small animal testing. Core C provides a centralized environment, essential resources and multi-disciplinary expertise to safely and ethically translate and target therapeutic discoveries into the right patient population.

NUGoKIDNEY also includes Pilot and Feasibility and Enrichment Programs. The Pilot and Feasibility Program recently closed year 3 applications and has funded 10 projects to date with 4 awards to investigators outside Northwestern. The Enrichment Program provides an array of education and outreach activities that (1) provide training and career development for next generation researchers and (2) share new knowledge with the scientific and lay communities. Notable activities include hosting an annual Kidney Disease Therapeutic Innovation Symposium; community-engaged partnership development project to improve kidney health disparities on Chicago’s South Side; and a vibrant high school program – SciHigh – that prepares students from underrepresented communities for biomedical careers through summer mentorship, workshops, and classroom activities.

Funding

  • NUGoKidney is supported by the award P30DK114857 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, within the National Institutes of Health.