When the body destroys itself

JASN publication informs about rare kidney disease

The Chinese scientist Qian Chen has contributed with her research to the understanding of the severe kidney disease C3 glomerulopathy. (Source: Jan-Peter Kasper)

Jena.They are not perticularly large, but kidneys assume numerous and above all vital functions of our body. This can be affected by diseases such as C3 glomerulopathy. A publication in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) clarifies now on it.

In the course of evolution, our body has developed various mechanisms to protect us from external influences. This includes the associated immune response to human complement system, which combats bacterial invaders quickly and directly. The disease C3 glomerulopathy ensures overactivation of the complement system. So this not only combats intruders, but also the body itself. The disease mainly affects children and young people and damages within a few years the kidneys of patients so strong that the person concerned must regularly undergo dialysis.

The infection biologist Qian Chen from the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI) has deciphered different factors - for example genetic mutations - that lead to the malfunction of the body. From doctors from Erlangen she received details and biological samples from patients suffering from C3 glomerulopathy. "Only by using this data, blood samples and thanks to the support of patients, we were able to find out more about this disease in the lab. And so finally could have a direct influence on the treatment in the hospital. "

The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology now printed the research findings of Qian Chen and the team of the Department of Infection Biology. Also the German Society of Nephrology tributed Qian Chen's research performance now with the Rainer Greger-promotion prize for the best nephrology PhD thesis in the field of kidney disease and hypertension.