Grant: Emerging Team Grant: From Genes to Proteins, Cells, Tissues and Patients - LOI

The number of nephrons in each kidney varies widely from individual to individual. Recent findings suggest that humans born with low congenital nephron number may be at risk for hypertension and susceptibility to renal insufficiency later in life. We recently discovered common variants of key developmental genes that influence newborn kidney size in Montreal and identified significant renal hypoplasia among newborns in India where maternal vitamin A deficiency is rampant. We now propose to build a multidisciplinary team which will work together to examine the gene/environment interactions that determine fetal nephron endowment and put these individuals at risk for high blood pressure and progressive renal insufficiency later in life.