Regenerating the endothelial glycocalyx as a new treatment concept for diabetic kidney disease

The Microvascular Research Laboratories and Academic Renal Unit at the University of Bristol are seeking applications for a Kidney Research UK -funded PhD studentship, starting in Octo-ber 2012. The project will be investigating new ways to treat diabetic kidney disease, the lead-ing cause of kidney failure in the developed world.

~30% of patients with diabetes develop kidney disease, first detected by the appearance of al-bumin in the urine. As the disease progresses, increasing albumin leak into the urine cause worsening kidney damage, eventually contributing to kidney failure. The project will investigate new ways of preventing albumin escaping into the urine, aiming to provide protection early in the course of the disease.

Urine is formed by filtration of blood across kidney blood vessel walls, which are lined by a specialised matrix called the endothelial glycocalyx. This glycocalyx layer prevents albumin escaping into the urine, and this glycocalyx layer is lost in diabetes. We have discovered that this glycocalyx layer can be restored. We now want to find out if a number of agents can restore the glycocalyx layer sufficiently well to prevent albumin entering urine. This work will make a major contribution to our longer-term goal of developing new treatments to prevent kidney damage in diabetes.

The project will involve cell culture work, as well as measurements of kidney blood vessel per-meability using in vivo models of diabetes. The successful applicant will be trained in assess-ments of endothelial glycocalyx structure, composition and turnover in human kidney cells (using immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, western blotting, PCR and radiolabelling techniques), as well as measurement of blood vessel permeability (using cannulation, perfusion and imaging of single blood vessels on a confocal microscope). The successful applicant will also receive training and access educational opportunities in the Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Bristol (http://www.bris.ac.uk/fmvs/teach/postgrad/). Further details of the project are available on request from Dr Salmon ([Email Address Removed]).

The project brings together principal investigators from two laboratories (http://www.mvrl.org/), (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/clinicalsciencenorth/renal/) that are world-leading in the fields of diabetic kidney disease and blood vessel permeability, and are based in one of the top research institutions in the UK. The project will be jointly supervised by Dr Andy Salmon, Dr Simon Satchell and Dr Becky Foster.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, bright, motivated individual seeking a career in biomedical science. Applicants should have, or expect to have, an honours degree in a relevant subject, particularly (but not exclusively) physiology, biological or biomedical sciences, anatomy, zoology or related subjects. Recent and current final year graduates are eligible.

To apply, please complete an application at http://www.bris.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/2012/apply.html
Please select 'Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences' and 'PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology (3 year)’. Please include a curriculum vitae with the application.
Closing date for applications: 12.00 midday on Thurs 12th July.