Kevin Yao L&S Biological Sciences
Unraveling the Molecular Activation of Kidney Regeneration
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the most common diseases among American adults. As one of the essential organs to maintain life, deprived renal functions lead to disruptions of homeostasis and fatal failures of the body. The prevalence of CKD is associated closely with the lack of renal regeneration capacity in the adult human body. However, recent study has shown that this inability of regeneration is not innate but an acquired process in mammals like humans. Many newborn mammals are reported to have full renal regeneration capacity while such is completely lost when they reach adult stage. The molecular evidence during mammal’s development, such as changes in genetic regulations, indicates the mechanism of activation and inhibition of renal regeneration. Hence, this project surveys on identifying novel transcription factors that drive kidney regeneration during mammal development, which may suggest new ways in reversing kidney injury and curing CKD.
Message To Sponsor
I'd like to express my deep gratitude toward the SURF donors because you made it possible for me to dive in my interested topics and make new findings during this summer. More importantly, my experience this summer made me more confident and determined to continue my career path as a biology researcher. Thank you for your kind donations!