Study shines light on cause of chronic kidney disease (TNF-Inhibitors reduced kidney & heart scarring)

Medical Xpress / University of Edinburgh / Science Translational Medicine ^ | May 31, 2023 | Eoin O'Sullivan et al

[ConservativeMind]

Fresh insights into a protein that causes damage in kidneys and hearts could open up new treatment options for chronic kidney disease.

In a study in mice, scientists found scarring in kidneys and hearts was driven by a protein called Indian Hedgehog (IHH), which is produced and released by a subset of cells in aged and injured kidneys.

Experts say further studies are needed to explore therapies to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD)—a condition that affects 10 percent of the world's population.

CKD is a term used to cover any form of kidney disease that continues for more than a few months. It can affect people of any age, but older people are more likely to experience some level of CKD.

While CKD primarily causes damage to kidneys, it is also a major risk factor for accelerated cardiovascular disease and premature death.

Progressive fibrosis—scarring of the kidneys—is a common feature in all CKD, but the mechanism underlying this connection is not fully understood.

A team identified a subset of epithelial cells—cells which make up body tissue—that produce IHH and are only present within aged or injured mouse kidneys.

They showed these cells produced IHH in response to being activated by the protein TNF—a well-recognized driver of inflammation.

When blocking the actions of TNF or IHH in mouse models of kidney scarring, the team found that scar production in the kidney was reduced and kidney function was also better preserved. Increased levels of scarring in the heart also returned to normal levels.

In humans, the team showed that circulating IHH levels were significantly raised in patients with CKD. Patients with cardiovascular disease also had higher levels of IHH than those without cardiac problems.

The findings offer hope that blocking the TNF/IHH signaling pathway could improve both kidney and heart fibrosis problems.

[ConservativeMind]

TNF stands for “Tumor Necrosis Factor,” and we need a little of this but eating few anti-inflammatory foods, or already having on-going inflammation, greatly tips the balance to a pro-inflammatory state.

They don’t talk to foods or supplements helping, as they used drugs to block TNF but there are more than a few easy ways to blunt TNF, without a prescription.

I’ll post a good write up on these, next.

[ConservativeMind]

How to Inhibit TNF-alpha Naturally

https://selfhack.com/blog/supplements-lifestyle-factors-influence-tnf-interleukin-6-il-6/

[ConservativeMind]

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[telescope115]

I’m familiar with TNF in regards to IBD, always good to know more…

[Bob434]

Thanks for the link- I’ll check that out as I and others have tnf caused health issues. Interesting g that it may be linked to ckd too- which I also have.

[logi_cal869]

This study reads like a group of mechanics outlining the chain of events which follow introduction of FOD into an engine to protect components from failure, while ignoring that the obvious solution is to prevent FOD introduction in the first place.

The myopic ignorance on display is quite the spectacle.

But hey: Ya can’t knock ‘em for a great story to secure easy grants to pay back their college loans. /s

[Bob434]

I see elemental diet is on the list- I went on a semi-elemental for 3 months, and started getting back a little bit of energy- but not enough to celebrate, maybe I didn’t go in it long enough. It’s very expensive though, but wasn’t too hard to stick to the diet. I thought it would be. But I don’t eat much per day, so maybe that was why it wasn’t too hard for me to stick tl it.