therapeutics for kidney and heart disease
This research led by Professor David Johnson and his team from the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) aims to find cost-effective strategies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and the progression of chronic kidney disease to improve health and reduce healthcare costs.
| Head Researcher | Professor David Johnson |
| Team Members | |
| Body Part | Kidneys, heart, gut |
| Equipment Used | |
| Process Used | |
| Research Areas | Metabolomics, Microbiome |
| Disease | Chronic Liver Disease, Cardiovascular Disease |
| Tags | |
| Commercial Partnerships | |
| Institutions | Princess Alexandra Hospital, The University of Queensland |
About the Project
Chronic kidney disease affects 11.5% of the Australian community and is one of the few diseases in which mortality rates are worsening over time. The condition directly, or indirectly, contributes to the deaths of 13.5% of Australians; more than deaths due to breast cancer, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, suicide and motor vehicle accidents combined.
This growing global public health problem is being driven by an increasing burden of metabolic syndrome (diabetes, obesity and hypertension) which is linked to costly and serious health issues including heart disease, end-stage kidney disease, depression and early death.
There is increasing clinical evidence that patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes have an imbalance in the gut microbiota. As the gut microbiota is influenced by diet, the discovery of this relationship between the kidneys and the gut has created new therapeutic opportunities based on nutritional intervention.
Translational Research - Milestone T2
In recent clinical studies involving 37 participants with chronic kidney disorder, Professor David Johnson and his team at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, demonstrated that manipulation of the gut microbiota through specific dietary fibres, called prebiotics, and beneficial living bacteria, called probiotics, was able to improve the balance in the gut microbiota.
Based on this pilot, Professor Johnson and his team are undertaking expanded clinical trials, possibly involving international sites, of patients with chronic kidney disease to assess the effect of dietary fibre and co-administered probiotics on cardiovascular risk over a 52 week period.
The ultimate outcome of this research is to find cost-effective strategies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and the progression of chronic kidney disease to improve health and reduce healthcare costs.
>For further information on this project, please contact Professor David Johnson
