Targeting the Racial Disparity in Kidney Disease

September 23, 2024

An array of vials from blood tests.

(Knowable Magazine) – Some people of West African descent face a higher risk of renal failure. New drugs based on gene research may help right the ship — if they can reach everyone who needs them.

The result was exciting. Thirteen people with serious kidney disease given a new type of drug for three months had, on average, seen the amount of protein pathologically leaking into their urine fall by almost 50 percent. In this elemental test of kidney function, some participants saw an improvement of more than 70 percent.

But other things make this clinical trial, published in March 2023, stand out further. (Read More)