Artificial intelligence and ‘omics may help in diagnosing and treating glomerular disease
In her presentation at WCN’22, Dr. Mariam Priya Alexander, a pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA, will describe advances in pathology helping to diagnose glomerular disease, which accounts for approximately 16% of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Dr. Alexander’s research interests include the application of ‘omics and mass cytometry to expand the understanding of CKD and immune-mediated injuries in transplants. She will describe the contribution her research is making to this field in a session that covers revolutionizing techniques and concepts. “International collaboration, investment in technology, and a passion for science will help us improve the care and treatment of patients in the future,” she says.
Diseases of the glomeruli, the ‘strainers’ in kidneys that filter out waste from blood, include many conditions with different causes. Understanding the causes of these conditions is crucial for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
“We have moved away from rendering pattern-based diagnoses to more etiology-based diagnosis,” she says. “This refinement to diagnosis requires the use of more complex testing and more detailed clinical correlation. I will discuss the use of ancillary techniques in the evaluation of renal biopsies. I will focus on techniques that include but are not limited to mass spectrometry and mass cytometry.”
Blood tests and, in some cases, kidney biopsies are needed to diagnose glomerular disease. As biopsies are invasive, doctors are reluctant to take biopsies more often than are required.
“One of the challenges for pathologists relates to using information obtained from a biopsy at a single point in time to identify etiology, to guide treatment, and to predict prognosis. The use of more ‘omics-based studies and artificial intelligence will potentially provide significant advances to the understanding and management of glomerular diseases,” concludes Dr. Alexander.
Dr. Mariam Priya Alexander: “Emerging Tools in Pathology for Glomerular Disease Diagnosis”, Emerging Concepts in CKD. ERA EDTA-ISN Special Lecture, Sunday 27 February, 15.00-16.00 hrs Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) time, Room 2: https://cm.theisn.org/cmPortal/searchable/WCN2022/config/normal#!sessiondetails/0000015430_0
