Kidney diseases and blood pressure cause >15 million death per year globally. The kidney’s distal convoluted tubules (DCT) were recently discovered to control blood pressure in response to dietary salt, however, current cell models poorly replicate human physiology for further study. 

I aim to optimise a recently developed protocol for isolating and immortalizing primary DCT cells from healthy volunteers, instead, using clinically collected urinary samples from patient with renal tubular disorders and/or hypertension. These cells will be pivotal in the development of disease-specific models for research. Additionally, both immortalised and primary hDCT will be cultured on an “organ-on-a-chip” system to create 3D tubular-like structures that better emulate the real-life tissue architecture and physiological responses. The tubules can then be grown alongside artificial blood vessels to investigate tubule-capillary interactions. Unlike 2D models, this system can be perfused at different flow rates for functional experiments and pharmacological testing. 

The ultimate goal of this project is to bring genuine personalised medicine to the diagnosis and treatment of tubular diseases and hypertension. Using this approach, we can tailor individual treatment plans to maximise patient benefit in a completely non-invasive, patient-centered manner using their own urine- and blood-derived cells.