Themes & Topics

The WCN 2007 scientific program is organized into 8 core themes incorporating a broad and exciting range of symposia topics.

Chair: Jurgen Schnermann, USA

Theme 1 highlights a number of topics in which improved insights into basic physiological processes have led to important progress in the understanding of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

Renal tubular transport is critical for body fluid homeostasis. This aspect is emphasized in symposia that deal with advances in the regulation of phosphate transport and roles of aquaporins beyond their function as water channels. In addition, altered regulation of transporters by kinases has been recognized as a potential cause for transporter dysfunctions and their pathological consequences. Basic cellular processes such as the detection of mechanical perturbations, the uptake of substances from the tubular lumen by endocytosis, and the regulation of cellular lipid and glucose metabolism by nuclear receptors have profound effects on the integrity of cellular functions, and are also highly relevant for renal function.

Two aspects of the propensity of renal diseases to progress will be considered in the symposia dealing with the role of the intrauterine environment for the diseases in adult life and with the non-genomic effects of aldosterone in renal and cardiovascular diseases. Finally, progress in gene silencing methods and in the application of proteomics to detect biomarkers has permitted new insights into disease processes and detection.

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Chair: Jürgen Floege, Germany

Theme 2 has a “bench-to-bedside” scope incorporating four basic science symposia to present and discuss cutting edge findings and investigate novel approaches to renal disease. These symposia will focus on: New pathways in vascular cell signalling - retinoid acid receptors, AT1 receptors, PI3-kinase and Wnt-signalling; Hypoxia and progression of kidney failure and the question of how intrarenal hypoxia contributes to renal failure and whether therapy can target this; New insights into the role of specific cell types in the kidney - an update on the role of podocytes, parietal epithelial cells, endothelium and lymphatics in renal disease, and Chronic inflammation and fibrosis of the kidney that will cover epithelial-tomesenchymal transition, the renin-angiotensin system and novel anti-fibrotic targets.

Six further symposia will look at the transition from basic research to clinical science, namely: Oxidative Stress - addressing the role of oxygen radicals in hypertension and renal disease as well as clinical trials in this area; Stem Cells - The future for renal disease - investigating how tubules or glomeruli can be healed or regenerated by stem cells; Autoimmunity and Kidney Disease - covering topics from regulatory T-cells to the pathology of lupus and clinical trials in SLE; Infectious and environmental causes of renal disease (lead, snake bites and bacterial infections); New insights into glomerulonephritis - therapy of MPGN and membranous GN; and ANCA-positive vasculitis - covering pathogenesis and the latest clinical trials.

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Chair: Corinne Antignac, France

Theme 3 combines advances in basic research and clinical science to highlight several key sub-themes. Two symposia will focus on how understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in normal kidney development elucidates the pathogenesis of several human renal malformation syndromes.

Other symposia will address new advances in the pathogenesis of cystic diseases and hereditary glomerular diseases. Specific highlights featured within these symposia will include the contribution of model organisms to the study of disease mechanisms, the role of modifier genes and ethnic variation in the susceptibility to renal disease, and the potential contribution of bioengineering to the treatment of renal and urological disease.

Lastly, a clinical symposium will focus on the clinical management of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, chronic renal failure and kidney allograft in children.

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Chair: Emmanuel A. Burdmann, Brazil

One of the special aspects of kidney diseases is the huge interface that they have with other organs and systems. This makes clinical nephrology a live and challenging activity with multiple interactions with other specialties. Theme 4 has been designed with this concept in mind.

Experts with solid experience and significant publications will act as speakers and moderators in sections dedicated essentially to fundamental and/or controversial aspects of the clinical care of the kidneys. Four interactive sections will convene nephrologists and other specialists to discuss and debate the clinical importance and practical aspects of the diagnosis and care of vasculitis, hypo and hypernatremia, steroid resistant syndrome and severe hypertension refractory to treatment. Natural medicines, nephrotoxicity and renal diseases related to infectious diseases will be discussed by a panel of experts from India, Pakistan, Brazil, Thailand and Egypt, as part of the Symposium on Tropical Nephrology.

Three roundtable sessions will cover important clinical aspects of HIV nephropathy, renal function and pregnancy, as well as specific challenges in clinical nephrology (cholesterol embolism, acute interstitial nephritis, multiple myeloma and acute streptococcal glomerulonephritis). Finally, at least two of the Keynote Lectures (Metabolic Syndrome and The Renal Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle) will be of important relevance to clinical nephrology.

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Chair: Tomas Berl, USA

Theme 5 incorporates 9 separate symposia that have been specially structured to ensure that the latest developments in both the basic and clinical sciences receive balanced attention and focus.
Symposia dedicated to diabetic kidney disease will analyze both the role of measuring albuminuria as a therapeutic target and risk marker, as well as its cost effectiveness.

A further symposium will focus on pathways for preventing diabetic complications including inflammatory, oxidative stress, PPARs and AGEs. The symposia related to CKD will examine the predictor and mechanism of increased cardiovascular disease in these patients, question whether CKD can regress, present data on novel strategies that are being tested to prevent progression, and address the increasing problem of CKD in developing countries and ethnic minorities.

Another symposium will explore the problems related to the increasing age of patients with CKD and the options available to them. Finally, the hypertension symposia will focus on genetic contributions to hypertension and new aspects of the reninangiotensin system. Collectively these symposia will report and update on cutting edge science and practice related to this important area of our specialty.

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Chair: Jonathan Himmelfarb, USA

The incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis therapy to sustain life are rapidly increasing on a global scale. As a consequence of loss of kidney function, numerous toxic solutes are retained, leading to considerable morbidity and mortality even when optimal dialytic therapy is provided. These morbidities include ongoing alterations in volume homeostasis and hypertension, anemia of chronic kidney disease, a high level of malnutrition and inflammation, alterations in calcium phosphorus balance leading to metabolic bone disease, and an extraordinarily high rate of cardiovascular disease.

Theme 6 will incorporate symposia to present in-depth and up-to-date information on new approaches to uremic toxicity and new dialytic therapies. The global kidney disease epidemic will be elucidated and a detailed review of novel biomarkers for predicting outcomes in dialysis patients will be discussed. Multiple co-morbidities including hypertension, anemia, metabolic bone disease, nutrition, and treatment of cardiovascular disease will also be covered in detail. Finally, future breakthroughs in dialysis technology on the horizon for clinical practice will be discussed and debated.

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Chair: Philip O'Connell, Australia

Theme 7 will present all the latest data and debate on renal transplantation, spanning a wide range of themes with specific focus on challenging clinical issues as well as an overall review of latest developments at the basic scientific level.

State-of-the-art symposia have been developed to cover topics such as the latest immunosuppressive protocols, the emerging understanding of antibody mediated rejection, ABO incompatible transplantation, the diagnosis and management of chronic allograft nephropathy, and management of viral infections. Three additional symposia are also designed to cover specific issues related to pediatric transplantation, tolerance, innate immunityand the immunobiology of rejection.

With its eight symposia and two free oral communication sessions, this theme will provide expert review of renal transplantation and related topics.

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Chair: Norbert Lameire, Belgium

Theme 8, through guest lectures, symposia and free communications, will focus on the changing epidemiology of ARF and advances in the molecular biology of ARF with particular emphasis on: Models to study acute injury including LPS,CLP, ischemia and nephrotoxins; Future therapeutics based on advances in the biology of epithelial cells and interstitium in models of ARF (including the role of inflammation, hypoxia-induced factors, and erythropoietin and CO as protective agents); New diagnostic markers of ARF potentially allowing an earlier detection of acute renal injury (biomarkers, cystatin C, and experimental and clinical imaging techniques); New therapeutic possibilities in ARF with in-depth analysis of the mechanisms of renal recovery after an acute insult (growth factors and stem cells), ARF in sepsis in both the experimental and clinical setting.

Furthermore, the role of metabolic control of the critically ill patient and its impact on the prevention of ARF and the prognosis; the role of euglycemia, the electrolyte and acid-base disturbances and nutrition in these patients will also be discussed.

Additional symposia will focus on ARF in the setting of non-renal transplantation (bone marrow, lung, liver and heart transplantation); ARF in children with emphasis on the etiologies, risk factors, and dialytic and non-dialytic management; New insights into current dialysis modalities ARF patients (including the dose of dialysis, SLEDD, peritoneal dialysis and the problem of anticoagulation), and finally, new data on the immediate and long-term prognosis of ARF patients with specific emphasis on the increased incidence of chronic renal failure after an acute kidney injury.

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