The Canadian Glomerulonephritis Registry and Translational Research Initiative

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is one of the most important causes of kidney failure in Canada. These comprise a group of "rare" diseases (\<5 per 250,000 population), yet GN is a leading cause of kidney failure and accounts annually for close to 20% of incident cases of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) in Canada. Prevention of progression to kidney failure is possible, however several barriers and gaps in knowledge challenge our ability to provide patients with individualized effective therapy. These include a lack of sensitive non-invasive tools for monitoring disease activity, prognosis, and response to therapy. A gap in understanding of the core molecular processes underlying the development and progression of GN, and a lack of cohesive networks for evaluation of novel treatment approaches contribute to a lack of targeted and personalized therapies for GN. To address these challenges we will create a national, multi-dimensional platform for application of human-based molecular research and advanced therapeutics in GN.