Basic & Clinical Research

Goals of the clinical study group

• Foster clinical research via regular calls for proposals of Human-/Clinical Projects (HCP)
• Coordination and organization of joint clinical and physiological projects (patients and volunteers) among the 5 faculties of medicine participating in the NCCR Kidney.CH
• Evaluation and fostering of complementarity and mutual help among the centers (help and performance of/with analytical methods such as assays, volunteers, patients etc.)
• Securing additional funding
• Establishing collaboration with existing Clinical Trial Units (CTUs) at Swiss Universities
• Building-up of sustainability and a new culture for multicenter research and translational transfers (basic science to clinic and the other way round, too) beyond the lifetime of the NCCR

Approved HCPs 2015

• Heritability of RBC and Epo traits: towards the identification of novel Epo regulatory factors and functions
  Lead: Roland Wenger, UZH
• Identification of genes associated with serum phosphate and renal phosphate handling
  Lead: Carsten Wagner, UZH
• Identification and confirmation of candidate genes responsible for potassium sensitivity of blood pressure - unbiased screening approach
  Lead: Edith Hummler, UniL
• Calcification propensity score in the SKIPOGH cohorts I and II, followed by clinical correlations and GWAS
  Lead: Andreas Pasch, Inselspital Bern
• Genome-wide association studies for selected kidney-related phenotypes
  Lead: Murielle Bochud, UniL
• The effect of dietary phosphate intake on blood pressure regulation and renal sodium chloride excretion in healthy male volunteers
  Lead: Nilufar Mohebbi, USZ
• Effect of dialysis initiation on serum calcification propensity
  Lead: Sophie de Seigneux, UniGe
• Investigations into the circulating factors regulating hepatectomy -Induced phosphate wastage in man
  Lead: Alex Odermatt, UniBas
• Uromodulin as a biomarker for the risk of chronic kidney disease
  Lead: Olivier Devuyst, UZH

Approved HCPs 2016

• Generating kidney‐related phenotypes in GWAS cohorts
  Lead: Olivier Devuyst, UZH
• Validation of Candidate Proteins Involved in Vascular Calcification and Mortality of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
  Lead: Alex Odermatt, UniBas
• Reciprocal effects of sodium intake and potassium intakes on renal sodium and potassium handling and balance in normal subjects & Establishment and validation of testing NCC in humans via acute inhibition by intravenous chlorothiazide
  Lead: Eric Feraille, UniGe and Reto Krapf, Klinik St. Anna
• Chronic fetal hypoxia induces intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and premature aging: further functional characterization and molecular mechanisms
  Lead: Uyen Huynh-Do, Inselspital Bern
• Comparison of food intake and physical activity between a cohort of stone formers and the general population using validated Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ) and Physical Activity Frequency Questionnaires (PAFQ)
  Lead: Idris Guessous, HUG
• Control Cohort of subjects without stones and renal diseases, built on the SKSC protocol
  Lead: Olivier Bonny, SKSC
• Establishment and validation of a novel method for the assessment of Calcium Phosphate crystallization propensity of urine
  Lead: Andreas Pasch, Inselspital Bern
• Contribution of specific human phosphate transporters to renal phosphate handling
  Lead: Carsten Wagner, UZH
• Anemia in individuals with CKD: deleterious role of arterial stiffness and blood volume-regulating hormones and correction by exercise
  Lead: Sophie De Seigneux, UniGe

Approved HCPs 2017

• Uromodulin and kidney stone propensity: Studies in the Swiss Kidney Stone Cohort
  Lead: Olivier Devuyst, UZH
• Generation of Novel Antibodies Against Total and Phosphorylated NCC, alpha-ENaC, and Klotho and Their Experimental Validation in Gitelman Patients
  Lead: Johannes Loffing, UZH
• Dynamic Measurement of Renal Functional Reserve as a Predictor of Long-Term Renal Function
  Lead: Thomas Müller, USZ
• Role of ENaC in the effects of intake on renal sodium and potassium handling and balance in humans
  Lead: Eric Feraille, UniGe

Approved HCPs 2018

• Role of ENaC in the effects of intake on renal sodium and potassium handling and balance in humans
  Lead: Eric Feraille, UniGe
• Effect of hypoxia on renal control of plasma volume
  Lead: Eric Feraille, UniGe
• Dietary phosphate intake: role of divalent cations in phosphate absorption of dairy products
  Lead: Sophie De Seigneux, UniGe

Approved HCPs 2019

• Nutrients analysis in Swiss stone formers using FoodCASE®
  Lead: Olivier Bonny, UniL
• Validation of a novel method for the assessment of Calcium Phosphate crystallization propensity of urine samples from the SKSC
  Lead: Olivier Bonny, UniL and Andreas Pasch, Inselspital Bern
• Vitamin D-24 Hydroxylase (CYP24A1) Deficiency and Idiopathic Calcium Nephrolithiasis
  Lead: Daniel Fuster, Inselspital Bern
• Novel Epo regulating transcription factors
  Lead: David Hoogewijs, Unifr
• The role of macrophage-derived Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in adrenal gland homeostasis, ion balance and blood pressure control
  Lead: Christian Stockmann, UZH