# Muscle-Kidney Crosstalk in Age-related Kidney Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $470,502

## Abstract

Project Summary
Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more prevalent in elderly individuals due to the
increased susceptibility to injury and diminished repair capability of the aging kidney. Age-related decline of renal
function may reflect multicellular dysfunction that leads to reduced capability of the kidney to repair or regenerate
in response to stress. Our group previously identified MG53 as a key component of cell membrane repair, which
plays a vital role in protection against AKI. We know that renal proximal tubular epithelia (PTE) contain
endogenous MG53 protein. In principle, compromised function of MG53 to repair injury to PTE may be an intrinsic
mechanism that contributes to reduced kidney function in aging. We also know that MG53's myokine function in
tissue repair is compromised in aging. A loss of the crosstalk from muscle to kidney may constitute an extrinsic
mechanism leading to the increased vulnerability of the kidney to function properly during aging. This project is
centered on testing the hypothesis that MG53 participates in the multicellular process of aging-related AKI and
CKD by maintaining the integrity of PTE cells and facilitating muscle-kidney crosstalk. We have made a novel
finding that links MG53's myokine function in control of intracellular Ca signaling to modulation of inflammasome
activation associated with kidney injury and fibrosis. Thus, we developed a novel concept that engineering of
macrophages with tailored secretion of MG53 can enhance renoprotection via harnessing inflammation and
fibrotic remodeling associated with CKD. If proven, these findings can have a significant impact on geriatric
medicine research, as chronic inflammation and fibrosis occur during the aging process and can impact the
function of many organs including kidney.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10244886
- **Project number:** 5R01AG062896-02
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Pei-Hui Lin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $470,502
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10244886

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10244886, Muscle-Kidney Crosstalk in Age-related Kidney Disease (5R01AG062896-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10244886. Licensed CC0.

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