DCoH: A novel biomarker for diagnosing acute kidney injury

Initial diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is usually based on measuring serum-creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels; however such measurements are still poor in identifying renal injuries at initial stages. These standard matrices are not enough to monitor the outcome and progression of AKI. The prognosis prevents proper treatment and timely delay in providing putative therapeutic agents. The cost effective therapies to get delayed, patient health gets compromised and ultimately requires renal transplant due to end-stage renal disease, which is another major problematic factor due to shortage kidney donors. To establish effective therapies for AKI the need will be facilitated by developing and identifying reliable, sensitive biomarkers which can be detected early during all stages of AKI, even during preclinical and clinical studies. Although reaching to human clinical trials takes years of thorough evaluations, preliminary studies should be carried out effectively by: (a) Employing cell culture analysis, (b) use of AKI animal models, studying various gene regulated networks, and biomarkers, and (c) patient serum sampling and testing. As elevated phenylalanine are indicative of AKI onset within 4h, its levels is controlled, 4a-Hydroxy-tetrahydrobiopterin dehydratase/dimerization cofactor of HNF-1 (DCoH). There is a possibility of targeting DCoH to the current bedside list of biomarkers involved in AKI onset.