Compare MicroRNA of espression of Renal AAV

ANCA Associated Vasculitis (AAV) is an inflammatory disease that can affect many organs, but commonly the kidney, leading to damage and kidney failure. This disease is still not completely understood, and the treatment carries with it significant risk and side effects. Better understanding of  disease mechanisms can improve disease detection and monitoring  and may identify targets for improved future treatments.

A promising area of research is the study of microRNAs. These are micro- regulators of the genes in the body and studies have shown that they are involved in the development and regulation of many diseases.

We have evidence from some initial work that microRNAs may be important in AAV. This project will examine microRNAs in the kidneys, blood and urine of patients with vasculitis. We will also examine samples from healthy people and patients with other kidney diseases, to see whether the patterns we show are due to vasculitis specifically or just kidney damage. Information from this study about microRNAs in vasculitis should allow us to learn more about how and why the disease develops, if confirmed in a larger population.

The results may have use in the future in disease monitoring through blood and urine samples, potentially allowing patients to avoid kidney biopsy.

The study of microRNAs has allowed new targets for therapy to be discovered, leading to development of new medications. Therefore, work in this area could contribute to discovering new therapies for vasculitis.