Blood test predicts kidney failure risk to Black Americans years before onset | Penn Today Skip to Content Skip to Content News from University of Pennsylvania Try Advanced Search A new blood test can identify which individuals of African ancestry carrying high-risk APOL1 gene variants are most likely to develop kidney failure, years before clinical disease becomes apparent. Findings on the new test, developed by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine , are published in Nature Medicine View large image Image: Rasi Bhadramani via Getty Images “What has been missing is a way to identify early disease activity before we see changes in standard clinical measures,” says senior author Katalin Susztak , a professor in renal electrolyte and hypertension and director of the Penn-CHOP Kidney Innovation Center . “This approach allows us to intervene early enough and lessen the severity, or even prevent, kidney disease in some patients.” African Americans develop kidney failure at nearly four times the rate of those of European ancestry, driven in part by variants in the APOL1 gene. The APOL1 gene helps protect against certain infections, but some versions of it can also increase the risk of serious kidney disease. Until now there has been no reliable way to determine who is truly at risk before kidney function begins to decline. Researchers analyzed blood samples from more than 850 people of African ancestry enrolled in the Penn Medicine BioBank , all of whom carried APOL1 high-risk variants and had normal kidney function at the start of the study. Using a small panel of circulating proteins measured from a routine blood draw, the team developed a risk score that predicts the likelihood of kidney failure, significant decline in kidney function, or death over the following ten years. The differences between groups were substantial. More than 60% of individuals in the highest-risk category experienced renal failure requiring the need for dialysis or transplantation within ten years, compared to fewer than 1% in the lowest-risk group. The proteins included in the score are linked to pathways involved in kidney injury and fibrosis, suggesting that the test captures early biological changes that precede measurable loss of kidney function. Read more at Penn Medicine News Share this article Threads Credits Writer Matt Toal More from Perelman School of Medicine Medicine Research Genetics Faculty Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system Health & Medicine Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form. No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise Image: Sciepro/Science Photo Library via Getty Images Natural Sciences No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies. Studying Shakespeare through the lens of love In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted. nocred Arts & Humanities Studying Shakespeare through the lens of love In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love. Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion nocred Technology Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.