Treatment of Diverse Renal Diseases with Regulatory Cells

慢性肾脏疾病（CKD）是澳大利亚人口死亡和残疾的主要原因。目前CKD的治疗是非特异性的，并且经常无效。因此，肾衰竭进展到患者需要透析或移植来维持生命的阶段。每年有超过1700名澳大利亚人因此需要肾脏替代治疗，更多的人死于肾衰竭或其并发症。某些形式的肾脏疾病是自限性的，而另一些则以慢性肾脏瘢痕形成和终末期疾病的最终发展为特征。该项目将探索天然保护性细胞（调节性T细胞）是否可用于治疗不同类型的CKD，包括主要以炎症或纤维化为特征的CKD。此外，将探讨调节性T细胞的保护机制（包括它们与常驻肾细胞的相互作用），以及提高调节性T细胞治疗疗效的方法。

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of death and disability in the Australian population. Current treatments for CKD are non-specific and frequently ineffective. As a consequence, kidney failure progresses to the stage where patients require dialysis or tranplantation to remain alive. Every year more than 1700 Australians require kidney replacement therapy for this reason and many more die of kidney failure or its complications. Some forms of kidney disease are self-limited whereas others are characterised by chronic kidney scarring and the eventual development of endstage disease. This project will explore whether natural protective cells (regulatory T cells) can be used to treat differing types of CKD, including those characterised predominantly by inflammation or by fibrosis. In addition, the protective mechanisms of regulatory T cells (including their interaction with resident kidney cells) will be explored, as will ways of increasing the efficacy of regulatory T cell therapy.