Multi-omics signature of kidney fibrosis (KidneySign)

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by a progressive structural and functional damage to the kidneys. Ultimately, this results in scarring (fibrosis) of the kidney tissue. Currently, the extent of this scarring can only be estimated by a kidney biopsy. A kidney biopsy is an invasive procedure which is not performed in all CKD patients and is not suitable for regular follow-up due to the risk of procedure- related complications. At the same time, monitoring renal function and predicting the risk of CKD progression is difficult due to a high variability in the individual courses of the disease and a high biological variability of established biomarkers (creatinine, albuminuria). The international project "KidneySign" aims to develop a blood- and urine-based multimodal proteomic signature which reflects in situ kidney fibrosis and is predictive of CKD progression. The project relies on the analysis of Big Data comprising classical, proteomic and peptidomic evaluations of kidney biopsies, urine, serum and plasma samples from existing patient cohorts and biobanks. The signature will also be validated in a KidneySign prospective study.