Acute kidney injury: preclinical innovations, challenges, and opportunities for translation

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinically important condition that has attracted a great deal of interest from the biomedical research community. However, acute kidney injury AKI research findings have yet to be translated into significant changes in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE This article reviews many of the preclinical innovations in acute kidney injury AKI treatment, and explores challenges and opportunities to translate these finding into clinical practice. SOURCES OF INFORMATION MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science. FINDINGS This paper details areas in biomedical research where translation of pre-clinical findings into clinical trials is ongoing, or nearing a point where trial design is warranted. Further, the paper examines ways that best practice in the management of AKI can reach a broader proportion of the patient population experiencing this condition. LIMITATIONS This review highlights pertinent literature from the perspective of the research interests of the authors for new translational work in AKI. As such, it does not represent a systematic review of all of the AKI literature. IMPLICATIONS Translation of findings from biomedical research into AKI therapy presents several challenges. These may be partly overcome by targeting populations for interventional trials where the likelihood of AKI is very high, and readily predictable. Further, specific clinics to follow-up with patients after AKI events hold promise to provide best practice in care, and to translate therapies into treatment for the broadest possible patient populations.