Illuminating the CKD Patient Journey: Clinicogenomic Data Reshapes Research & Drug Discovery

Recent research leverages clinicogenomic data to advance understanding and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD), improving patient stratification and targeting in clinical trials, and fueling the development of novel therapeutics.

Cell therapy trials, like the one at UC Davis Health, are investigating first-in-class treatments that use a patient’s own cells to potentially restore kidney function for those with CKD due to type 2 diabetes, aiming to move beyond symptom management to disease modification1.

Gene therapy approaches, including the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, are showing promise in preclinical and early-stage clinical research as delivery methods improve, overcoming previous barriers to targeting kidney tissue5.

Ongoing clinical trials at leading institutions (e.g., UCSF, Oxford, UC Davis) are testing new classes of drugs—such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, aldosterone synthase inhibitors, and endothelin receptor antagonists—with recent studies indicating emerging therapies can slow disease progression and offer kidney-protective effects2 3 4.

Clinicogenomic integration enables a deeper understanding of genetic risk factors and patient subtypes in CKD, paving the way for more personalized treatments and accelerating drug discovery by identifying new molecular targets and biomarkers.