FundingERC Funding for Innovative Therapy for Kidney Diseases
2 August 2024
Prof. Dr Matias Simons receives a Proof of Concept Grant to test its potential
To test the potential of an innovative therapeutic approach for permanently impaired kidney function, Prof. Dr Matias Simons is receiving funding from the European Research Council (ERC) in the form of a Proof of Concept Grant. It is aimed at scientists who already hold an ERC grant and now wish to further develop research results from this project for a potential application. Prof. Simons and his team plan to investigate a naturally occurring amino acid to see whether it can be used to treat Alport syndrome. Funding of 150,000 euros will be made available for this pilot study over a period of one and a half years. Matias Simons is a scientist at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg of Heidelberg University and works at Heidelberg University Hospital.
The most common causes of permanently impaired kidney function are diabetes and high blood pressure. But Alport syndrome – a hereditary and chronically progressive inflammation of the kidneys – can also lead to kidney failure. In this context, Prof. Simons and his team are investigating a naturally occurring amino acid, the administration of which has “proven to be safe” in such cases as herpes simplex virus infections or malnutrition, as the researcher explains. As part of the Proof of Concept project “Preventing Alport Syndrome with a Natural Amino Acid” (RENOTREAT), this amino acid – a building block of proteins – will be studied to see whether it can slow the progression of kidney disease. For their new therapeutic approach, they administer this amino via drinking water.
One of the symptoms of Alport syndrome is proteinuria, an increase in the protein content in urine. Since this is a characteristic of many forms of chronic kidney disease, the Heidelberg scientists hope that their current work will also provide new insights into the treatment of other kidney diseases. The Proof of Concept funding is based on an ERC Consolidator Grant for the project “Targeting Tubular Reabsorption for Kidney Protection” (RENOPROTECT), which has been supporting Prof. Simons’ kidney research since 2021. In this project, the scientist and his team are investigating the extent to which the receptor cubilin, which mediates tubular protein uptake, plays a key role in healthy kidney function.
Matias Simons – Professor of Molecular Human Genetics at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg of Heidelberg University – is Deputy Director of the Institute of Human Genetics and Head of the Nephrogenetics Section at Heidelberg University Hospital. With the Proof of Concept Grant, the European Research Council is funding projects that aim to explore the commercial or social potential of a completed ERC project. The funding can be used for such things as tests, experiments, demonstrators, idea validation and for further research into commercialization. It is also available, for instance, for establishing contact with potential users or covering the initial company set-up costs.