Toward a Liquid Biopsy for Lupus Nephritis

Course overview

Lupus nephritis is an autoimmune kidney disease currently diagnosed and monitored by invasive kidney biopsies, a tool that gives a single snapshot but can't be repeated often enough to track a disease that flares and remits over time. Urine, being downstream of both kidneys, collects the byproducts of kidney inflammation. By studying urine proteomics, we have identified several protein-based biomarkers that mirror intrarenal inflammation. We are developing a clinical-grade biomarker panel to aid with lupus nephritis diagnosis and monitor patients over time to establish response to treatment, noninvasively. The goal is a "liquid biopsy" that lets physicians see inside the kidney without a needle, and that could reshape how lupus nephritis is diagnosed, monitored, and treated.