Early detection of chronic kidney disease

CKD results in renal failure and the mandatory requirement of renal replacement therapy, transplantation or lifelong dialysis. Several therapeutic strategies exist for treating CKD, with the majority involving either inhibition of the renin/angiotensin system or anti-inflammatory agents. While therapy at an early stage may be curative, therapy at late stages can only delay disease progression, highlighting the clear need for early detection.

The aim of the EU-funded PROTOCLIN project was to advance capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) technology in CKD biomarker discovery.

To achieve portability, a CE-MS platform was established in a partner laboratory. As this multidimensional approach mandates comparability of data sets, software solutions enabling the exchange and comparison of data from different instruments were developed. First validation assays confirmed portability and accuracy of both the platform and software. To reach this goal, PROTOCLIN initiated an intensive exchange of scientists between industrial and academic partners.

Project members demonstrated that urinary proteomic biomarkers can provide clinical information for the early detection and differential diagnosis of CKD while avoiding invasive procedures. This highlights a clear potential benefit for the application of urinary proteomic biomarkers of CKD, generalisation of their use and their implementation into a high-throughput screening tool.