Kidney Repair

In 2002, around 600 million people were treated for kidney disease. The latest prediction is that by 2010, there will be around 50, 000 patients on renal replacement therapy (dialysis or transplant).

The Institute of Nephrology is a key component of the Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair and a major group within Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, with its comprehensive approach to renal research with laboratory/science running integrated with clinical research and patient care.  In the 1996 and 2001 Research Assessment Exercise it was singled out by the former University of Wales College of Medicine as being one of the highest calibre research centres in the college deserving of a 5* rating.

Currently, its focus for research is the fibrosis of the renal interstitium that accompanies the latter stages of most kidney disease. In particular it has an integrated strategy for investigating diabetic renal disease at the molecular and genetic level, the effect of glucose on the remodeling of the kidney matrix, and the control of clinical diabetic renal disease through the application of evidence based treatment in the clinic. It also has a major focus on peritoneal immunity, inflammation and membrane regeneration. Laboratory studies are complimented by the development of new dialysis fluids and by the sitting of the International Peritoneal Biopsy Registry and the Global Peritoneal Fluid Study at Cardiff