Our mission is to find new ways to prevent kidney failure in childhood and develop better alternatives to dialysis.

child getting kidney scan

Kidney disease and children

Chronic kidney disease is a common and serious problem in Australia, currently impacting 1.7 million Australians and costing our economy around $1.8 billion every year. Over 28,500 Australians are currently on dialysis and 1,400 patients are waiting on the kidney transplant list.

Kidney disease means that a person’s kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood the way they should, which leads waste to build up in the body. In its early stages, kidney disease can be silent.

In children, a significant proportion of kidney disease is genetic and in many instances, the disease-causing mutation is unknown. This makes both diagnosis and treatment more difficult.

Left untreated, chronic kidney disease can progress into kidney failure, for which there is no cure. Children and young adults with kidney failure are managed with medications and dialysis until they can receive a kidney transplant, though for some children a kidney transplant may not be possible.

Dialysis is a procedure that uses a machine to remove excess fluid and waste from the body. Over the long term, dialysis impacts the quality of life of the child and their family and reduces life expectancy by five to ten years. We are working to find better alternatives to dialysis.

Treatment options for chronic kidney disease and kidney failure have advanced little in the last 70 years. Waiting for a replacement kidney in Australia can also take many years.

Childhood kidney disease patient smiling at the camera

Key facts

  • Each year, two million hospitalisations record chronic kidney disease as a diagnosis.

  • Indigenous Australian adults are twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to have chronic kidney disease.

  • The main causes of kidney disease in children are congenital kidney anomalies and genetic disease.

  • Around 50 per cent of children with chronic kidney disease have a genetic aetiology to their disease.

  • Early diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease can reverse, delay or even prevent progression to advanced kidney disease.
  • Each year, two million hospitalisations record chronic kidney disease as a diagnosis.

  • Indigenous Australian adults are twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to have chronic kidney disease.

  • The main causes of kidney disease in children are...
  • Each year, two million hospitalisations record chronic kidney disease as a diagnosis.

  • Indigenous Australian adults are twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to have chronic kidney disease.

  • The main causes of kidney disease in children are congenital kidney anomalies and genetic disease.

  • Around 50 per cent of children with chronic kidney disease have a genetic aetiology to their disease.

  • Early diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease can reverse, delay or even prevent progression to advanced kidney disease.

Our Kidney Flagship

Through the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Kidney Flagship, we can speed up our understanding of the causes of paediatric kidney disease and develop new interventions.

The Kidney Flagship is a strategic and collaborative program of clinicians and researchers designed to tackle the currently unanswerable questions around kidney disease. We strive to give every child the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilled life.

Our Flagship members

Kidney Disease Modelling

Our vision is to model kidney disease using human stem cells and develop new treatments for inherited and chronic kidney disease.

Explore Kidney Disease Modelling

Kidney Regeneration

Through our pioneered methods of using stem cells to grow mini kidneys, we hope to revolutionise kidney disease treatment.

Read more about Kidney Regeneration

Kidney Patient Advocacy Group (PAG)

Understanding the burden of kidney disease through the experience of patients and families to better focus research and clinical outcomes.

Read more about our PAG

 

Clinical Data Analytics

Harnessing innovative health analytics methodologies to leverage existing hospital data for better patient outcomes.

Explore Clinical Data Analytics

Clinical Research

Advancing scientific knowledge and patient care to deliver high quality healthcare.

Read more about Clinical Research

Kidney Genomics

Using multidisciplinary assessment of genetic testing to provide demonstrable differences to the safety and quality of patient care.

Read more about Kidney Genomics

 

Our Steering Committee

The leadership team consists of representatives from across Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) and The Royal Children's Hospital Department of Nephrology

Committee member
Role
Professor Melissa Little Chief Scientist, Kidney Regeneration, CEO of reNEW
Dr Joshua Kausman Director of Nephrology, The Royal Children’s Hospital
Paediatric Nephrologist and Clinician Scientist
Paediatric Nephrologist and Clinician Scientist
Clinical Geneticist, Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS)
Lakshi Starks
Program Manager, Kidney Regeneration

More information