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Advances in pharmacotherapy for acute kidney injury
Yali Xu1, Ping Zou2, Xiaojing Cao1
1Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Introduction:
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinically critical disease exhibiting an acute decline in renal function. The lack of an effective prevention and treatment method equates to a high morbidity and mortality rate. Consequently, over the past few decades, many therapeutic drugs with different mechanisms of action have been proposed and gradually applied to the clinic. The involved drug mechanisms evaluated have included hemodynamic modulation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, repair agents, metabolic derangement and mitochondrial function.
Areas Covered:
The authors of this review provide the reader with a reference point for the latest advances in pharmacotherapy in acute kidney injury. This is achieved by the evaluation of the latest data collected on potential therapeutic drugs with different mechanisms of action, as well as their preclinical and clinical impact on AKI.
Expert Opinion:
Presently, the vast majority of drugs are still in clinical development, which is a huge challenge. Nevertheless, in addition to current chemical drugs and gene therapy strategies, the advent of mesenchymal stem cell treatments and other emerging pharmaceutical strategies could enable clinicians to better treat AKI. Due to the nonselective distribution and low bioavailability of some of the latest pharmaceutical strategies, there is hope that these treatment options may provide more efficacious avenues.
Insights
New pharmacotherapies are emerging for acute kidney injury (AKI), offering hope for improved patient outcomes. While many treatments are in development, advancements in stem cell and gene therapies show promise for managing this critical condition.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Pharmacology
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical condition characterized by a rapid decline in kidney function, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates.
- Current prevention and treatment strategies for AKI remain limited, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest advancements in pharmacotherapy for acute kidney injury (AKI).
- To evaluate preclinical and clinical data on potential therapeutic drugs targeting diverse mechanisms of action in AKI.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of recent studies on AKI pharmacotherapy.
- Analysis of therapeutic drugs targeting hemodynamic modulation, inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular repair, metabolic derangements, and mitochondrial function.
- Evaluation of the clinical impact and preclinical data of emerging treatments.
Main Results:
- Numerous therapeutic drugs with various mechanisms are under investigation for AKI.
- Many promising drugs are still in the clinical development phase, presenting a significant challenge.
- Emerging strategies, including mesenchymal stem cell treatments and gene therapy, offer potential for more effective AKI management.
Conclusions:
- Despite challenges in drug development, advancements in pharmacotherapy, particularly stem cell and gene-based approaches, hold promise for improving AKI treatment.
- Addressing issues like nonselective distribution and low bioavailability is crucial for the success of novel pharmaceutical strategies in AKI.
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