Gene and protein expression in the kidney
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Gene and protein expression in the kidney
IRAS ID
129918
Contact name
Neil Sheerin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Head of Research and Development, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
The kidney is a complex organ which maintains the environment inside the body within close limits. This requires a large number of transport and signalling proteins that interact in different, functionally distinct parts of the kidney. Many diseases cause kidney injury, with approximately 10% of the adult UK population having some evidence of kidney disease. In severe cases this progresses to kidney failure and therefore the need for dialysis or transplantation. The work proposed in this application studies the normal function of the kidney and also how this is disupted during the development of disease.
The work will use surplus clinical material that is collected at the time of kidney biopsy or as part of surgery to remove a kidney. Kidney biopsy is a routine procedure to investigate the cause of kidney problems. The biopsy sample is initially used for diagnostic tests but frequently there is surplus tissue. This is currently stored in the pathology department or destroyed. Similarly when patients have surgery to remove a kidney the sample has to be examined by a pathologist. there is however tissue that is not required for this purpose which is normally destroyed.
Adult patients will be asked for consent to use surplus material that is no longer required to establish a diagnosis. No additional tissue will be taken specifically for research, although a blood and urine sample may be taken at the time of biopsy or during a clinic visit. This surplus material will be used to study the genes and proteins expressed in the kidney or to establish cell lines to test function in living cells.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EM/0311
Date of REC Opinion
22 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion