Kidney articles from across Nature Portfolio

The involvement of patients with lived experience of kidney disease in nephrology research can strengthen the relevance and uptake of evidence to achieve better outcomes. The past two decades have seen increased efforts to involve patients and caregivers, particularly in research priority setting, study design and dissemination. However, further efforts are needed to improve the transparency and diversity of patient involvement in research.

Advanced instrumentation and rapid computation are generating ever more data on human genetics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, posing challenges of integration and interpretation. New research has applied rigorous statistical analyses to genetic variations identified in patients with kidney disease to find drivers of (patho)physiological differences in urine and plasma metabolomes.

Premature birth and low birth weight disrupt kidney development substantially, which leads to an increased risk of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Broader awareness of these risks, implementation of preventive strategies and optimization of neonatal care are key to safeguarding kidney health and ensuring better long-term outcomes.