# A novel electroceutical tool for treatment of kidney-based diseases

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2021 · $192,546

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Chronic overactivity of renal nerves results in physiological and pathological changes in renal function that
contribute to kidney-based diseases. Hypertension is correlated with increased activity of sympathetic nerves to
the kidneys in preclinical models, and in most of these models, hypertension is attenuated by renal denervation
(RDN). Clinical trials building on these models have demonstrated that catheter-based RDN is effective in
lowering arterial pressure in hypertensive patients. The success of catheter-based RDN to treat hypertension
has catalyzed the emerging field of electroceuticals, which is based on the concept of organ-specific
neuromodulation (rather than ablation) for cardiometabolic diseases. Whereas ablation is non-reversible and
non-tritratable, neuromodulation can be incorporated into a closed-loop feedback design to precisely regulate
the activity of nerves as desired. Moreover, neuromodulation can be turned off and restarted as needed.
 Combined, our laboratories have extensive knowledge on the role of renal nerves in the pathogenesis of
hypertension and the mechansims mediating the anti-hypertensive effect of RDN in rodent models (Co-PI
Osborn) as well as experience in developing computational modeling tools to design neurotechnologies (Co-PI
Johnson. We aim to translate this knowledge to the development of a novel implantable technology for
neuromodulation of the kidney for treatment of neurally-mediated renal pathology in a translational large animal
model of renal pathology (DOCA-salt sheep). In Specific Aim 1, we will develop a bidirectional renal nerve cuff
interface, first in silico and then in the lab, to electrically block (E-Block) and sense (E-Sense) renal nerve activity
in sheep. In Specific Aim 2, we will optimize stimulus parameters of renal E-block in vivo by comparing the acute
renal responses to E-Block to those observed following surgical ablation in anesthetized DOCA-hypertensive
sheep. Successful development of this neuromodulatory tool for treatment of renal disease can be translated to
treat other chronic diseases associated with overactivity of renal nerves including chronic kidney disease and
end-stage renal failure. Moreover, this same technology can potentially be used to modulate other organs (e.g.
liver, pancreas, spleen) for the treatment of chronic cardiometabolic diseases that are linked to excessive nerve
activity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10194764
- **Project number:** 1R21DK128663-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew Douglas Johnson
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $192,546
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10194764

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10194764, A novel electroceutical tool for treatment of kidney-based diseases (1R21DK128663-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10194764. Licensed CC0.

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