The importance of Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) as a potential therapeutic target in glomerulonephritis

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Antibody-mediated diseases are those caused by the body?s immune system targeting our own organs. When this occurs in the kidneys it causes inflammation, called glomerulonephritis. This is a common cause of kidney failure. Current treatments for this condition are not always effective and may have severe side-effects. Better and safer treatment is needed.We have shown that a drug called R788 is extremely effective in treating animals with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis. R788 is also effective in treating humans with other forms of immune-mediated disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis. I would like to investigate whether this drug would be a useful and safe treatment for glomerulonephritis in humans.I will achieve this by comparing the effects of R788 on white blood cells and kidney cells taken from humans and animals with glomerulonephritis. I aim to establish if the drug?s target molecule is present in human cells, and if so, whether it is active in reducing levels of inflammation and the antibodies responsible for autoimmunity. This information may provide the basis for a future clinical trial of R788 in humans with glomerulonephritis.I will undertake this research along with other doctors from the Imperial College Kidney and Transplant Institute in London.