Project: An integrated multi-omics signature of kidney fibrosis for CKD precision medicine

Acronym	KidneySign (Reference Number: ERAPERMED2022-202)
Duration	02/05/2023 - 01/05/2026
Project Topic	Affecting 10% of the population, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a concerning disease of European societies, which ultimate stage (end-stage kidney disease) is irreversible and fatal if untreated. The progression rate of CKD cannot be precisely assessed from estimated glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion, which are the classical diagnostic and risk markers. Kidney fibrosis is the main feature of CKD progression shared by many causal diseases. Fibrosis can be estimated from kidney biopsy, an invasive procedure that cannot be generalised. A non-invasive marker reflecting kidney fibrosis would greatly improve the detection of progressive CKD with direct clinical interest. Urinary and plasma peptidome analyses, including classifiers collectively developed by KidneySign partners, have shown promising results that could benefit from further validation and/or additional molecular dimensions. In KidneySign, we aim to use translational Big Data to develop and validate an innovative multimodal protein-based (proteomics, peptidomics) signature from different body fluids (urine, serum, plasma) robustly associated with in situ fibrosis in the kidney, and predictive of the risk of CKD progression. KidneySign will result in a clinical decision support system that identifies patients at greater risk of CKD progression based on molecular signatures and explore individually optimisation of nephroprotective therapies, which is the hallmark of precision medicine. From existing patient cohorts and biobanks and a prospective KidneySign clinical study, kidney biopsy, urine, serum and plasma will be evaluated by standard, high throughput and Deep Learning approaches and associated with CKD progression endpoints. Potential ethical and societal roadblocks in KidneySign applications will be identified through patients’ and health professionals’ surveys, and both issues and solutions will be shared within the ERA-PerMed network, hereby promoting responsible implementation
Network	ERA PerMed
Call	5th Joint Transnational Call for Proposals (2022)

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	RD Néphrologie SAS	Coordinator	France
2	Inserm	Partner	France
3	Medical University Innsbruck, Austria	Partner	Austria
4	University of Erlangen-Nürnberg	Partner	Germany
5	RWTH Aachen University	Partner	Germany
6	University of Skövde	Partner	Sweden