Research

Area 2

Nephro-Urologic Diseases and Kidney Transplant

Team manager
Josep Mª Campistol
(Hospital Clínic)
JMCAMPIS(ELIMINAR)@clinic.ub.es

Strategic objectives

The general objectives of this research team are to gain greater knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of diseases of the kidneys and male urinary and reproductive apparatus, and of the medical complications deriving from replacement renal treatment by means of dialysis or transplant. The objectives include, especially, the study of immunosuppression in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspect.

Furthermore, with the incorporation of a team specializing in transplant immunology, our objectives also include improving the tolerance to allografts and xenografts and reducing as far as possible the need for immunosuppressants. Another new challenge is to increase our knowledge regarding the level of immunosuppression recommended in patients according to their needs: pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationship.

Main lines of research

1. Hereditary kidney diseases, particularly renal polycystosis, Alport syndrome and benign family hematuria.
2. Amyloidosis associated with dialysis or beta-2 microglobulin, other types of hereditary and non-hereditary amyloidosis with renal involvement.
3. Diabetic nephropathy, antiproteinuric of ARA II.
4. Anemia of renal origin, erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins in uremia.
5. Uremic myopathy.
6. Renal osteodystrophy and calcium-phosphorous metabolism.
7. Cardiovascular risk and accelerated arteriosclerosis in kidney patients.
8. Infection by hepatitis C virus in dialysis and kidney-transport patients.
9. Endothelial dysfunction, the effect of the uremic medium in endothelial cells.
10. Chronic rejection, role of TGF-beta.
11. Dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant, polymorphisms of apolipoprotein.
12. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of immunosuppressant drugs: calcineurin inhibitors, sirolimus, rapamycin and MMF.
13. Kidney and pancreas transport, metabolic control.
14. Neoplasias of the urinary apparatus (kidney, prostate and bladder).
15. Erectile dysfunction, the use of sildenafil in kidney transplant.
16. Experimental kidney transplant.
17. Establishment of the molecular bases of the mechanisms that govern clonal deletion or anergy in a model of allogenic or xenogenic presentation and which, therefore, determine tolerance to transplant antigens.
18. Establishment of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters that make it possible to adjust the minimum necessary and sufficient immunosuppression for each organ recipient.
19. Identification of strategies that make it possible to substitute the functions of cells, organs or tissues, minimizing the use of immunosuppressants.

Our researchers also have shared lines of research with other IDIBAPS teams, particularly in the areas of arterial hypertension, endothelial dysfunction and systemic autoimmune diseases with renal involvement.