Basic/Clinical Science Session
Immune Mechanisms in Diabetic Kidney Disease: From T Cells to Spatial Niches and Complement
October 23, 2026 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Location: Room 205, Convention Center
Session Description
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has long been viewed primarily as a metabolic disorder with secondary inflammation. Recent advances now establish immune activation as a driver of disease progression. This session examines how adaptive and innate immune mechanisms contribute to DKD, focusing on T-cell recruitment and phenotypic states; spatially organized B-cell immune niches; and complement activation using integrated human tissue data, spatial transcriptomics, and biomarker studies.
Learning Objective(s)
- Summarize how immune activation causally contributes to DKD progression rather than representing a secondary inflammatory response
- Describe T-cell recruitment pathways, phenotypic heterogeneity, and functional roles within diabetic kidney tissue
- Explain how spatial transcriptomics reveals immune niches, including B-cell localization and lesion-level heterogeneity in DKD
- Evaluate the role of complement activation in DKD using integrated biomarker, tissue, and clinical data
Learning Pathway(s)
- Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Health
Moderators
Presentations
- Updated Framework for Immune Involvement in DKD, Emphasizing Causal Immune-Epithelial Crosstalk
02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
- T-Cell Recruitment, Phenotypic States, and Functional Consequences in Diabetic Kidney Disease
02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
- Spatial Transcriptomic Mapping of B Cells, Immune Niches, Heterogeneity, and Therapeutics
03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
- Complement Activation, Integrating Biomarkers, Tissue Localization, and Clinical Leverage
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM