Grant: Proof of Principle Program - Phase II

People with chronic kidney disease that lose significant kidney function require either dialysis or a kidney transplant to keep them alive. Given the lack of kidneys available for transplant, 80% of patients use dialysis which acts as an artificial kidney to remove waste from the body. There are two forms of dialysis: hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD uses special fluid placed in the abdomen multiple times per day and filters waste and water through the stomach lining called the peritoneal membrane. HD uses a machine in the hospital attached to the patient's blood system thrice per week. PD has many advantages over HD: PD can be administered independently by patients in the comfort of their homes. Patients on PD do better when they receive a kidney transplant and can be less careful about their dietary restraints. These factors greatly improve the quality-of-life of PD patients and PD costs tens of thousands of dollars less per patient/year resulting in reduced healthcare costs. In PD, glucose (sugar) is the main molecule used to remove water through the peritoneal membrane. Sugar causes many long-term problems for PD patients; it scars the peritoneal lining and eventually patients are unable to receive PD. Furthermore, too much sugar can cause diseases such as diabetes or the control of diabetes more challenging. Our research group has designed a new molecule as a substitute for glucose in PD fluid which contains no sugar and has many proven advantages. Our results demonstrate that this novel polymer is safer and more efficacious than the conventional PD fluid in many different experiments. We are continuing to test the safety and efficacy this exciting new polymer in long-term studies that better approximate the human condition. We are a multidisciplinary team of medical doctors, scientists and drug development experts working together to develop a new PD fluid that will help many people with chronic kidney disease in Canada and around the world.