Kidney disease is very often a race against the clock. The very nature of the disease necessitates a proactive approach if treatment is to be successful, meaning that the sooner it’s caught, the more options toward kidney maintenance become available. A new study led by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School has been attempting to shed new light on the best way to preserve kidney filtration cells before they succumb to the disease process.

The filtration cells this research team is trying to protect are responsible for the main function of the kidney, which is to remove toxins from the blood. This research could provide a medical breakthrough in kidney disease medical management that is sorely needed. There haven’t been any major strides made in kidney medicine for the past 40 years and this is very disheartening for those suffering from the pain of chronic kidney disease along with the crushing costs associated with the most widely-prescribed treatment method: dialysis. This doesn’t even take into account the great emotional toll that comes with awaiting transplantation, the back-and-forth disappointment associated with not receiving one and the ultimate risks and cost of the procedure when and if it does become available. Chronic kidney disease is a terribly difficult burden to bear, but this research examined a truly promising treatment.

A genetically-inspired look at the factors behind what causes the kidney’s filtration cells to cease functioning enabled the research team to identify a molecular compound, AC1903, which would be able to prevent further damage from ravaging the kidneys even in advanced cases. Although the research conducted by this team was limited to study in a group of lab rats, the team is optimistic their findings could be beneficial to human kidney disease sufferers in the near future. 

Here are some other proven methods to prevent kidney disease from worsening:
Consistently monitoring your levels
Getting more exercise
Switching out high-protein and high-potassium dishes from your diet
Adopting a vegetarian diet
Taking a kidney-friendly supplement like Kidney Restore