Researchers Identify 6 Biomarkers of Kidney Injury for Improved Patient Outcomes - Video

Researchers have identified six new biomarkers that could detect kidney injury faster and with more sensitivity, advancing safer drug development and improving health outcomes for patients.

The findings were published recently in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

The research team examined urinary levels of protein biomarkers in healthy volunteers and patients undergoing treatment for mesothelioma with a chemotherapy drug that is known to have toxic effects on the kidneys.

The six biomarkers identified by the team are mostly made in the kidneys themselves in response to injury or inflammation. This enables detection of kidney injury more quickly than current blood tests, like serum creatinine, which can sometimes take several days to reach abnormal levels.

Earlier detection of kidney damage could allow clinicians to intervene sooner, reducing the risk of long-term damage and improving patient outcomes across all settings. "These biomarkers have the potential to make a real difference in how we monitor kidney health and manage patients at risk for kidney damage," says Sushrut Waikar, MD, MPH, first author on the paper, who is also the Norman G. Levinsky Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. "We are hopeful that these findings will contribute to better strategies for preserving kidney function and improving patient care, as well as advancing safer drug development."

Reference: Waikar, S.S., Mogg, R., Baker, A.F., Frendl, G., Topper, M., Adler, S., Sultana, S., Zhao, R., King, N.M.P., Piccoli, S.P., Sauer, J.-M., Hoffmann, S., Nunes, I. and Sistare, F.D. (2025), Urinary Kidney Injury Biomarker Profiles in Healthy Individuals and After Nephrotoxic and Ischemic Injury. Clin Pharmacol Ther. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.3531