Translating research into improving health and well being

Research at King's College Hospital

The kidney department at King's College Hospital is currently conducting a number of clinical trials in kidney care and also undertaking laboratory based research into chronic kidney disease.

• Professor Iain Macdougall and the renal research team are currently studying aspects of anaemia in chronic kidney disease. The aim of these studies is to understand more about why patients with poor kidney function develop anaemia and what can be done to prevent and treat this. These study include:
• An early study of the benefits of a new medication that may allow patients to take a tablet rather than having to inject drugs like EPO to correct amaemia. This is the first use of the drug in humans and represents an exciting step forward in amaemia management.
•  Another new drug called Haematide, is being investigated, which might in the future have a number of advantages over existing drugs for treating anaemia.
• Prof Macdougall and his team are also investigating the blood levels of a new substance called Hepcidin in patients with chronic kidney disease. This will see if this new substance might be a more useful indicator of iron levels in patients.
• Finally his team is researching a new drug called Tolvaptan that might slow down the progression of cysts and kidney disease in patients with adult polycystic kidney disease.
• Lead dietician Helen Maclaughlin is co-ordinating a research project studying whether a combination of diet, exercise and weight loss medication or weight loss surgery is more effective in helping patients to loose weight and whether weight loss surgery can slow down decline in kidney function. If you would like to know more about this study please contact Helen Maclaughlin on helen.maclaughlin@kch.nhs.uk
• Dr Phin Kon is contributing to a study of haemodialysis practice and patient outcomes based on collecting data from a large multi-national group of dialysis patients. Such studies aim to identify good aspects of care, which can contribute to improved health and to identify areas that need further work.
• Dr Katie Vinen is recruiting patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis to four national studies looking at the genes which may be involved in the cause of these diseases. It is hoped new treatments can be developed by identifying such genes. If you would like to know more about these studies please contact Katie Vinen on katie.vinen@kch.nhs.uk
• Dr Fliss Murtagh is currently leading research into the care of kidney patients at the end of their life. Current work has focused on patients who have chosen not to start dialysis treatment and follows on from her ground -breaking work comparing survival in older people who choose to have dialysis with those who choose not to have dialysis. Dr Murtagh has also studied their symptoms, quality of life and activity levels over time. This should improve our recognition and management of symptoms, help us to understand how the illness may progress and help patients and families to plan ahead and receive the best care.
• Specialist Nurse Emma Murphy is leading a study involving older patients who stop dialysis. This will be part of a national study of kidney services for people who choose not to have dialysis. It will focus on measuring and improving the quality of care for those people who die with advanced kidney disease.
• Dr Sapna Shah is contributing to a European study to determine the best treatment for patients who have newly diagnosed myeloma (a type of cancer originating from cells in the bone marrow) and kidney failure. The team are comparing treatment with standard haemodialysis treatment and chemotherapy with an extended form of haemodialysis (which may remove more of the damaging products from the cancer cells) together with chemotherapy. For more information please contact Sapna.shah@nhs.net
• Dr Claire Sharpe is working with Professor Thein from the department of haematology to study kidney disease in people affected by sickle cell disease. One project aims to look at whether the angiotensin receptor blocking drugs (which many kidney patients take for blood pressure) can slow down the progression of kidney disease in sickle cell patients. They also plan to look at whether local patients from our African and Afro-Caribbean populations who have kidney disease are more likely to have sickle cell trait than those without chronic kidney disease. If you would like to know more about these studies please contact Claire Sharpe on claire.sharpe@kcl.ac.uk
• Dr Hugh Cairns and lead Renal physiotherapist Sharlene Greenwood are beginning a study on whether regular exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease helps to protect kidney function.
• Dr Cairns is also collaborating with colleagues in the King's Liver Unit and at Guy's to study the use of a combined kidney and partial liver transplant in patients who have waited for a long time for a kidney transplant due to a high level of antibodies against  'foreign'  kidneys. An earlier study from Sweden suggests that this may allow such patients to be transplanted where previously it has proved very difficult. If you would like to know more about this programme please ask your dialysis unit consultant.

The research laboratory at kings is led by Professor Bruce Hendry and Dr Claire Sharpe.

Some chronic kidney diseases gradually get worse over time causing kidney failure. The kidney laboratory based at King´s College Hospital is studying potential new drugs for slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease. Specific areas under study include:

• Examining Chinese herbal medicines for their anti-scarring effects in the kidneys (some Chinese herbs can also cause kidney deterioration so please do not try these without seeking medical advice)
• Looking at the role of vitamin A in kidney disease
• Looking at calcium channels and genetic manipulation of a molecule called Ras in order to try to prevent kidney disease cyst formation on the kidneys.