Impacts OUtcOmEs. A report by The Kidney Foundation of Canada

Transcription

1 Impacts OUtcOmEs A report by The Kidney Foundation of Canada

2 message from the NatIONal ExEcUtIvE DIREctOR, ElIzabEth myles Funding research to identify better treatments and improve the outcomes of people with kidney disease is a core priority of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Since it was founded in 1964, the Kidney Foundation has raised and invested over $115 million into kidney-related research, and the Foundation s national research program is one of the leading sources of funding for scientists conducting kidneyrelated research. Research is the beginning of all advances in treatment. It opens the door to a better future for people living with kidney disease and their families. Over the years, research has led to the improvement of dialysis treatment so that now people with end-stage renal disease can dialyse at home. It has led to breakthroughs in organ transplantation, so that this is now the treatment of choice for people with kidney failure. Research has helped develop tools to predict and therefore prevent kidney disease. And there are many more exciting new developments on the horizon. One in 10 Canadians is affected by kidney disease, and every year millions of people around the world die of complications related to the disease. At the Kidney Foundation of Canada, we believe that investing in research is the one of the best ways to stop, prevent, or slow the progression of kidney disease. Thanks to the work of the research community, including the researchers profiled here, people with kidney disease have a brighter future. Because people with kidney disease and those who care for them live the disease, we believe they also play an important role in research, in part, by identifying research priorities for those impacted by the disease. Thanks to the work of CANN-NET, supported by the Foundation, research priorities set by kidney patients have been identified and published. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is also a proud partner of Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD), the largest funded kidney-related research investment in Canadian history. Launched in 2016, Can-SOLVE CKD is a unique and innovative partnership of patients, researchers, heath care providers, policy makers, industry, and renal agencies that will create a powerful patient-oriented research network to transform the care of people affected by kidney disease. Cover Photo: Sandra Turcotte, KRESCENT Graduate Dr. Sandra Turcotte, researcher in Residency at the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute and a biochemistry professor at the University of Moncton, is leading a team of researchers that are making important inroads in uncovering the next generation of targeted cancer fighting drugs. 2

3 REsEaRch by the NUmbERs The Kidney Foundation of Canada supports research into all aspects of kidney health, disease, and treatment by providing Canadian researchers with more than $115,000,000 in grants since the start of the Foundation over 50 years ago. Research offers hope to people living with kidney disease: for a cure, for improved treatments and understanding of their condition, for fewer side effects of medications they may need to take, for increasing organ donation, for discovering genetic causes of kidney disease, and much more. In 2016, The Kidney Foundation funded over $3 million in research, and leveraged over $8 million through partnerships with other funders across Canada and the US. total INvEstED IN REsEaRch IN 2016: $3,068,782 % across EaCh ThEME*: Basic/Biomedical Clinical Health Systems and Services Social, Cultural, Environmental & Population Health 66% 24% 8% 2% *Themes of Research: Basic/Biomedical: research with the goal of understanding normal and abnormal human functioning, at the molecular, cellular, organ system and whole body levels. Clinical: research with the goal of improving the diagnosis, and treatment (including rehabilitation and palliation), of disease and injury; improving the health and quality of life of individuals as they pass through normal life stages. Clinical research usually encompasses research on, or for the treatment of, patients. health Services: research with the goal of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of health professionals and the health care system, through changes to practice and policy. Social, Cultural, Environmental, and Population health: research with the goal of improving the health of the Canadian population, or of defined sub-populations, through a better understanding of the ways in which social, cultural, environmental, occupational and economic factors determine health status. 3

4 IN 2016, the KIDNEy foundation provided funding to: 68 Principal Applicants 60 Co-Applicants 20 Biomedical Grants 20 KRESCENT Awards 147 Collaborators 32 Research Institutions Allied Health Awards Provinces Alport Syndrome Awards The Kidney Foundation funds research across the spectrum of kidney disease. The areas of research funded in 2016 include: 4 Patient-Oriented Research Renal Failure Diabetes Kidney Biology Transplantation Genetics Kidney Development Glomerulonephritis Quality of Life Hypertension

5 the KIDNEy foundation Of canada REsEaRch programs The Kidney Foundation of Canada (KFOC) invested over $3 Million in research in 2016, and leveraged over $8 Million from strategic partnerships. The KFOC runs 3 main research programs described below: Biomedical Research Grant Competition: The KFOC s largest research competition, provides support to researchers to defray the costs of research. In order to be eligible for this competition, the research program must be carried out in Canada, and must be relevant to the mission and vision of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. allied health Competition: The goal of the Allied Health competition is to encourage research relevant to clinical practice in the areas of nephrology and organ donation. Preference is given to applications that are submitted by allied health professionals (such as nurses, psychologists, social workers, dietitians, etc.) There are 3 different grants and awards given in this competition: 1. Research Grants: Research grants provide support to researchers to defray the costs of research. 2. Doctoral Fellowships: These salary awards are designed to provide for full-time academic and research preparation at the doctoral level. 3. Scholarships: The purpose of these scholarships is to assist students pursuing education at the Masters level. KRESCENT Program: The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT) Program was launched in 2005 to enhance kidney research capacity in Canada and to foster knowledge translation across the four themes of health research. If a trainee is successful in applying to the KRESCENT program, they receive a salary award, and must attend a core curriculum which is delivered through 2 workshops each year. There are 3 different awards provided through this competition: 1. New Investigator Awards: This award is given to individuals who have clearly demonstrated excellence during their predoctoral and post-doctoral training in kidney disease. 2. Post-Doctoral Fellowships: This is an in-training award intended for applicants with a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree. The objective is to attract and foster young investigators to initiate and/or continue training in kidney research. 3. Allied Health Doctoral Award: Each year a limited number of fellowships designed to provide for full-time academic and research preparation at the doctoral level are offered. In addition to these 3 programs, the KFOC also partners with the Alport Syndrome Foundation and the Pedersen Family to offer the alport Syndrome Research Funding Program. The goal of this program is to find novel treatments to prevent kidney failure and hearing loss in patients with Alport Syndrome. 5

6 2016 funded REsEaRchERs by program biomedical scientific awards MohSEN agharazii Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Quebec Project Title: Blood vessel calcification in the context of kidney disease Category: Hypertension heloise CaRdiNal Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de I'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Quebec Project Title: Anti-LG3 antibodies: can they predict immediate and long-term function of transplanted kidneys? JEaN-FRaNCoiS CailhiER Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de I'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Quebec Project Title: Secretion of an anti-danger signal reduces organ damage WilliaM CuPPlES Simon Fraser University, British Columbia Project Title: How blood flow to different parts of the kidney is coordinated Category: Kidney biology 6

7 alan deng Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de I'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Quebec $50,000 over 1 year Project Title: Genetics of hypertension revealing novel mode of kidney actions Category: Hypertension RiChaRd hebert University of Ottawa, Project Title: The renal PGE2/EP3 affects the mechanisms concentrating urine resulting in excess urine production during diabetes Category: Diabetes JoaN KREPiNSKy McMaster University, Project Title: Is follistatin protective against progression of chronic Category: Kidney biology PETER MaRGETTS McMaster University, Project Title: Peritoneal dialysis and injury to the peritoneal membrane Category: Dialysis RiChaRd GilBERT St-Michael s Hospital, $98,000 over 2 years Project Title: Moving stem cells to an off the shelf treatment for kidney disease Category: Diabetes Paul isenring Université Laval, Quebec Project Title: Role of K-Cl cotransporters in renal function Category: Water, salt and calcium handling in the kidney hon leong Western University, $150,000 over 3 years Project Title: Development of novel models for human kidney stone disease in the common fruit fly Category: Urology arnim PauSE McGill University, Quebec Project Title: Role of FLCN in RCC metastatic progression and drug resistance Category: Cancer lakshman GuNaRaTNaM University of Western, Project Title: Role of donor KIM-1 gene in kidney transplantation Category: Renal failure ana KoNvaliNKa University Health Network, $150,000 over 3 years Project Title: Transplanted kidney proteins and serum antibodies in antibodymediated rejection FaBRiCE MaC-Way Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Quebec Project Title: Mechanisms of osteocytes dysfunction in CKD-Mineral and bone disorders Category: Renal failure NoRMaN RoSENBluM The Hospital for Sick Children, Project Title: Human mutations in the gene Integrin-Linked kinase: Role in kidney malformation Category: Genetics 7

8 allied health scientific awards BaNu SiS University of Alberta, Alberta Project Title: Tissue and serum biomarkers as a screening test for antibodymediated rejection of human kidney transplants Shao-liNG zhang Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de I Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Quebec Project Title: The functional role of hedgehog interacting protein (Hhip) in diabetic nephropathy Category: Diabetes ahmed al-jaishi McMaster University Allied Health Doctoral Fellowship, $25,000 over 1 year Project Title: Methodological considerations of registry-based clusterrandomized controlled trials in dialysis Category: Dialysis CaThERiNE FoRTiER Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Quebec Allied Health Doctoral Fellowship, $29,000 over 1 year Project Title: Inversed alterations of large and medium arteries: cardiovascular impact on chronic kidney disease Category: Hypertension lori WEST University of Alberta, Alberta Project Title: Towards a better understanding of blood group-mismatched kidney transplantation for improved patient care zhu-xu zhang Lawson Health Research Institute, Project Title: Kidney injury prevention FaBio FEldMaN Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia Allied Health Research Grant, $93,296 over 2 years Project Title: The effects of a low-intensity exercise program on the health of elderly hemodialysis patients Category: Quality of life ChERiE KaPPEl-BRoWN University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Allied Health Scholarship, $5,000 over 1 year Project Title: Nursing Category: Renal failure 8 KaRa SChiCK- MaKaRoFF University of Alberta, Alberta Allied Health Research Grant, $99,998 over 2 years Project Title: Patientreported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (PRO Kidney): A realist Category: Quality of life

9 KREscENt 2016 alport syndrome REsEaRch awards MouMiTa BaRua Toronto General Research Institute, New Investigator Award Project Title: Molecular diagnosis in adult-onset familial and sporadic focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis Category: Genetics yulu ChERRy liu Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Post-Doctoral Fellowship Project Title: Understanding chronic kidney disease caused by defective retrograde trafficking in the primary cilia and devising strategies to correct it Category: Chronic kidney disease KaRa SChiCK- MaKaRoFF University of Alberta, Alberta New Investigator Award Project Title: Electronic patient-reported outcomes in clinical kidney practice (epro kidney) Category: Quality of life hirofumi Kai Kumamoto University, Japan Project Title: Search for therapeutic reagents by modeling Alport syndrome in mice and humans ana KoNvaliNKa Toronto General Research Institute, New Investigator Award Project Title: Systems biology approaches to decipher novel mechanisms and markers of antibody mediated rejection in kidney transplantation amber MolNaR McMaster University, New Investigator Award Project Title: The association of beta blocker use with mortality in patients with heart failure and severe chronic kidney disease Category: Chronic kidney disease JuSTiN ChuN Harvard Medical School Boston, MA Post-Doctoral Fellowship Project Title: Novel imaging techniques to study the podocyte slit diaphragm ultrastructure and molecular machinery regulating FSGS Category: Kidney biology JEFFREy MiNER Washington University, US Allied Health Scholarship, Project Title: 5-Ht2b antagonism as a strategy to prevent renal function loss in Alport Syndrome Partnership with the Alport Syndrome Foundation, the Pedersen Family and the Kidney Foundation of Canada 9

10 thank you to OUR volunteers! The Foundation is grateful for the generous volunteerism of its research community. It is safe to say that without their help, we could not continue to run our research programs. Kidney researchers volunteer by: acting as peer reviewers for Kidney Foundation research competitions; they chair the research programs which maintains the excellence of these programs; and they sit on a number of committees (such as the Research Council.) The Foundation would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful kidney researchers who provide us with such valuable support! In 2016, more than 70 researchers volunteered over 2,300 hours to The Kidney Foundation biomedical REsEaRch program volunteer hours 348 KREscENt program 202 committees 180 allied health REsEaRch program medal Of REsEaRch ExcEllENcE REcIpIENt 2016 marie-josée hébert Dr. Marie-Josée Hébert is a transplant nephrologist at the Centre Hospitalier de l Université de Montréal (CHUM). She works towards helping hundreds of patients affected by chronic kidney disease through her practice and her research. She is the Vice-Rector of Research at the University of Montreal, the Shire Chair in Nephrology and is also the co-director of the Canadian National Transplant Research Program (CNTRP). In her research, she strives to find better prevention and treatment options for all people affected by renal disease. At the research center of the CHUM, she works in the field of programmed cell death and tries to characterize the biomarkers of organ rejection. She studies the different mechanisms of organ loss after transplantation in order to find therapies for chronic renal failure. This year she won the Kidney Foundation of Canada Medal of Research Excellence for her work on anti-lg3 antibodies. The discovery of these antibodies has the potential to impact kidney patients through better understanding of organ rejection. Dr. Hébert is also highly committed to the Foundation and has participated in many of its research competitions as a peer reviewer and Chair. She is remarkable scientist that contributes internationally to kidney research. 10

11 Impacts and OUtcOmEs for capacity building highlights Of the KREscENt EvalUatION The Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training Program (KRESCENT) is a national partnership of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (CIHR-INMD). 79% of new investigators were successful in obtaining further funding from the national funding agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This is very impressive considering that the normal success rate at obtaining CIHR funding is about 16%. 79% The program was developed to pursue two main goals: 1. To enhance kidney research capacity in Canada and 2. To foster collaborative research and knowledge translation across the four pillars of research. The program provides salary support to post-doctoral fellows, new investigators and allied health scholars, as well as career development, mentorship and training. The curriculum is delivered through twice yearly workshops and is led by Drs. Adeera Levin and Kevin Burns. The Kidney Foundation gratefully acknowledges the tremendous leadership of these two individuals in contributing to the success of the program. The KRESCENT program recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary and an evaluation was performed to see if the program was accomplishing its goals. Some of the results are included below: Since 2005, 72 training positions 72 have been funded in seven provinces. 90% The majority (90%) of trainees reported that KRESCENT had contributed significantly to their success at obtaining CIHR funding. 76% of post-doctoral fellows were successful at obtaining appointments at the assistant professor level within 8 months of completing the program. KRESCENT trainees were more productive than their non-funded peers, publishing more papers and participating in more international collaborations. The KRESCENT program has contributed to increased capacity, scientific productivity, and collaboration. in ThE WoRdS of KRESCENT GRaduaTES: This is a wonderful program full of great opportunities for young researchers, with a beautiful philosophy. The KRESCENT program changed the course of my career. It opened doors that otherwise would not have been opened to me. The program is highly valuable and is essential to the development of young talent in our field. 76% 11

12 Impacts and OUtcOmEs Of KfOc funded REsEaRch NavDEEp tangri and the KIDNEy failure RIsK EqUatION Navdeep Tangri is a renal physician working at the Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He does clinical research on diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). He proclaimed that is main job is to prevent patients from having to go on dialysis. Indeed, he developed a Kidney Failure Risk Equation in This equation determines the probability of a patient moving on to kidney failure. It is based on a number of different factors: urine sample, age, gender and the filtration ability of the kidneys. The equation accurately predicts the probability of kidney failure for a patient with CKD Stage 3 to 5. This equation was tested and proven accurate in over 30 countries. He has also developed a user friendly tool for the general population and for primary care providers such as family doctors and nurses. He says that he can now provide stress relief for his patients who want precise information and he hopes that this equation will be used world-wide to help prevent the spread of chronic kidney disease and to reassure patients who are low risk. Dr. Tangri has received a number of grants from KFOC, most recently as a new investigator in the KRESCENT program. He believes that the KFOC and KRESCENT support were instrumental in his early research career and is committed to volunteering his time and effort to ensure our brightest trainees are able to get the same level of support. Dr. Tangri is an active volunteer in the kidney community, and hopes to maintain a lifelong connection to the KFOC. (For more information please visit References: Malchesky, P. (2016, March 4). Artificial Organs 2015: A year in Review. Artificial Organs, 40 (3), pp Neumann, M. (2016, May 9). Nephrology Nursing and the Wearable Artificial Kidney. Retrieved July 6, 2016, from Nephrology News: bethany foster and the take-it study Bethany Foster is a pediatric nephrologist working at the Montreal Childrens Hospital. She devotes her career to young kidney transplant patients and her main goal is to improve the kidney transplant success rate among children and teens in the long term. One of her main research projects, called the Teen Adherence in Kidney Transplant, Effectiveness of Intervention Trial (TAKE-IT) tested a medication adherence-promoting intervention in adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients. The results of this randomized trial will be presented at the 2017 American Transplant Congress. Dr. Foster has received a second 5-year grant from the NIH for a follow-up study called TAKE-IT TOO (Teen Adherence in Kidney transplant: Improving Tracking To Optimize Outcomes; ), the goal of which is to adapt the TAKE-IT intervention for use in clinical practice. Dr. Foster is a KRESCENT program graduate and has volunteered as a peer reviewer for the program. Her research, knowledge and understanding of pediatric nephrology has helped identify important determinants of graft-survival in the pediatric population. moira KORUs and the teens take charge transplant WEbsItE Moira Korus, RN, BA received an Allied Health grant from the Kidney Foundation of Canada in 2012 and used the funds to develop a website for teenaged transplant patients, including those who have had a kidney transplant. The website provides education and support to teens while they are navigating through their transplant journey. Moira and her team first asked teens what their needs were and the results of this assessment determined the content of the website. The site features video clips of teens talking about a range of subjects, such as medication, life style and transition, to provide teens with a greater sense of hope for the future and help them learn how their peers have successfully coped with difficult issues. In addition, there are tools available for download, such as a health journal, medication schedules, diet sheets and more. This new tool is available in both French and English as of December 1, (teens.aboutkidshealth.ca/transplant) The team gained additional funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Astellas Foundation, SickKids AboutKidsHealth and the Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Center (TRMC). 12