# Tubular senescence and proliferative capacity of the aging kidney

> **NIH NIH K08** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $151,390

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are much more common among the
elderly, and the aging population in the United States is rising rapidly. According to data from US Census
Bureau, there will be about 72 million people 65 and older by 2030, about one in every five Americans, this is
more than twice their number in 2000. The medical community is already seeing a high incidence of acute
kidney injury in the elderly population and it is expected that this will continue to rise with an increase in this
age group. This concerning trend; however, has received little attention despite the detrimental and potential
fatal outcomes associated with an episode of AKI, especially in this age group. The purpose of this study is to
explore the mechanisms that underlie the decrease reparative response in the aging kidney after injury with a
special focus on tubular senescence and epithelial cell proliferation. The specific aims of this proposal include:
1) Define the proliferative capacity of young vs. old proximal tubule cells by clonal analysis of dedifferentiated
cells, 2) Assess and characterize proximal tubule senescence in young vs. old kidneys after injury, and 3) To
determine if augmenting the proliferative response via transient overexpression of the transcription factor
Foxm1 leads to enhance renal recovery. Through these aims, our goal is to get an understanding of the
biology of the aging kidney in order to guide the quest for therapies to prevent, ameliorate or cure acute kidney
injury in the elderly or its progression to chronic kidney disease.
 This proposal outlines a 5-year training program to provide support and guidance towards the applicant
long-term career goal of becoming an independent physician-scientist studying the molecular mechanisms that
impair the regenerative response after acute kidney injury in aging. The plan consists of coursework, training in
new laboratory techniques and guidance from Dr. Benjamin Humphreys, Chief of Division of Nephrology at
Washington University, and members of the advisory committee who have a diverse wealth of expertise and
mentorship experience. The proposed studies try to address a highly relevant clinical problem such as AKI in
the elderly while providing resources for the applicant's career development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10055488
- **Project number:** 1K08DK122124-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Monica Chang-Panesso
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $151,390
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10055488

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10055488, Tubular senescence and proliferative capacity of the aging kidney (1K08DK122124-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10055488. Licensed CC0.

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