Recent Events

Recent Events in Biomarker Discovery at MUSC

“This confluence of events has put us in a unique position to establish a program that can rapidly and effectively identify and validate renal biomarkers and test their ability to guide new therapies.”

A series of events has occurred that will allow investigators and clinicians at MUSC, in South Carolina and the region to identify renal biomarkers. Significant scientific advances have occurred in the area of large scale protein identification (proteomics). Dr Arthur (the Director of the Renal Disease Biomarkers Center of Excellence) was recruited to MUSC in 2001 and the Nephrology Proteomics Center was founded through a generous grant from Dialysis Clinic, Inc. In 2002, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute established ten large proteomics centers at academic institutions across the country. MUSC was chosen as one of these prestigious centers. Dr Arthur is a project leader and core director for this proteomics center. Recently, funding agencies and industry have come to understand and appreciate the necessity and potential of proteomic discovery of biomarkers for kidney diseases. In 2006, Dr Arthur formed a consortium of investigators at four academic institutions in the Southeast to investigate acute kidney injury (Southern Acute Kidney Injury network-SAKInet). Dr Arthur has received Federal grant support for studies of biomarkers in both acute and chronic kidney diseases. He has an NIH R01 grant for discovery of biomarkers in acute kidney injury and a VA Merit award for discovery of biomarkers that predict progression of diabetic kidney disease. Dr Mike Janech, Assistant Professor in the Division of Nephrology who collaborates with Dr Arthur, received two grants related to identification of biomarkers of renal glomerular diseases such as FSGS. One of the grants is from the Veterans Administration and one from the Nephcure Foundation. In 2008, MUSC received an award of $5 million dollars from the State of South Carolina to establish a Center of Economic Excellence in Renal Biomarker Discovery. The award requires a dollar for dollar match from non-State sources. This effectively means that every dollar of philanthropy received by the Renal Disease Biomarkers Center will be matched by the state. The award will be used to establish two endowed chairs and for programmatic support of the Renal Biomarkers Center. This confluence of events has put us in a unique position to establish a program that can rapidly and effectively identify and validate renal biomarkers and test their ability to guide new therapies. In order to reach this goal we are raising money which will be matched by the State funds to develop the center of excellence. Below is a description of the specific fund raising goals.

Renal Biomarkers CoEE

Renal Biomarkers

Recent Events

Partnership