New horizons for PKD research
The recent New Horizons in Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) event brought together PKD researchers and clinical scientists from across the UK at Brunel University to share recent progress, explore new research opportunities and discuss how collaboration between academia, charities and industry could help shape the future of PKD research.
Hosted by Dr Barbara Tanos, a leading molecular biologist at Brunel University whose laboratory investigates how changes inside our cells can lead to inherited kidney diseases, including PKD, the event highlighted the growing commitment to advancing research in this area.
PKD is the most common inherited kidney condition, affecting around 70,000 people in the UK. It causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, which can eventually lead to kidney failure. It can also affect other organs, including the liver, brain and heart.
Although there is currently no cure, research is advancing. Existing treatments can slow cyst growth or help manage symptoms for some people, but there is still an urgent need for better and more personalised treatments.
Among those attending was Professor Colin A Johnson from the University of Leeds, whose recent research, supported by PKD Charity and Kidney Research UK, identified a promising new approach to treating PKD by testing drugs that already exist. His team discovered that blocking a protein called ROCK2 could help restore the function of cilia – tiny structures on cells that play a key role in PKD. While more research is needed, the findings could help speed up the development of new treatments by repurposing existing medicines.
With new discoveries improving our understanding of PKD and greater investment, there is a growing sense that the field is entering an important new phase.
Through shared knowledge and building stronger connections, the PKD research community is creating new opportunities to make progress.
This spirit of collaboration is also at the heart of the PKD Partnership – an ambitious joint initiative between Kidney Research UK and PKD Charity.
By combining research expertise with the experiences of people living with PKD, the partnership is supporting innovative research that aims to slow disease progression, improve quality of life and develop more personalised treatments.
In 2025, the partnership launched a £1 million funding programme to support early-stage research projects, fellowships and PhD studentships, helping to develop new ideas and support the next generation of PKD researchers.
The New Horizons event is a powerful reminder that PKD research is gathering momentum. For people living with PKD and their families, every new connection, research project and discovery brings hope that better treatments are within reach.
By bringing together experts from across the research community and investing in promising new ideas, we are moving closer to a future where PKD has a much smaller impact on people’s lives.
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