June 2025

Research highlights from the BC Renal network

New evidence prompts funding of rituximab for all British Columbians with membranous nephropathy

Membranous nephropathy has traditionally been treated with the drug cyclosporine – yet new evidence suggests a more expensive drug, called rituximab, is a better bargain when long-term costs and patient health are taken into account. As a result of these findings, BC Renal, which plans and coordinates health-care services for British Columbians with kidney disease, has changed its funding structure to provide rituximab as a first-line treatment for membranous nephropathy.

Membranous nephropathy occurs when a person’s immune system causes harmful inflammation in the kidneys. For many years, cyclosporine has been the primary drug chosen to treat the condition. However, this treatment option has several downsides, including the fact that membranous nephropathy can sometimes return once cyclosporine has been stopped, and patients require close monitoring while on the medication.

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Large-scale investigation into genetic kidney disease sheds light on patient outcomes

People with genetic forms of kidney disease have an increased risk of kidney failure, higher rates of kidney function decline, and lower chances of experiencing disease remission compared to people with non-genetic forms of kidney disease, according to a large-scale analysis. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Mark Elliott is a nephrologist with the University of British Columbia’s Division of Nephrology. He helped conduct the study while completing a fellowship at Columbia University in New York. There, he began specializing in genetic kidney disease, and says, “A lot of this research on genetic disorders stems from trying to give our patients the best understanding of what's happening with their kidneys and what their journey is going to look like going forward.”

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Researcher profile: Mohammad Atiquzzaman

When it comes to kidney research, there is a seemingly endless number of questions that need to be answered. Mohammad Atiquzzaman is an epidemiologist with BC Renal who isn’t afraid of digging deep into data to find those answers – always with the goal of improving outcomes for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

His passion comes from personal experience. “I have a deep understanding of patients with CKD because my mother was a patient on dialysis for three years – so I have seen how CKD impacts patients’ lives,” he says, adding it was the “perfect match” when he came to work with BC Renal.

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Who We Are:
Kidney care professionals and patient partners across BC are engaged in a broad range of local, provincial and international research projects, many in collaboration with BC's educational and research institutions. Their work is frequently published in peer-reviewed journals.

Why We Do It:
● To facilitate/conduct quality research studies
● To support knowledge translation
● To foster local, national and international research collaborations
● To facilitate training and mentoring of young physicians and scientists

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We acknowledge with gratitude that our BC Renal offices are located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Coast Salish, home of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish peoples, as well as the Métis chartered communities of the Lower Mainland