Powering the Future of Kidney Care: Researcher Secures $3 Million to Unlock Mitochondrial Therapy for Acute Kidney Injury

Every moment, millions of mitochondria, the tiny power plants fueling our cells, keep us alive. When they fail, organs begin to shut down. For patients with acute kidney injury (AKI), this failure can strike suddenly, causing life-threatening damage with little warning and no effective treatment.

Aman Bajwa, PhD, professor and leading researcher in the Department of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, is leading a bold new effort to change the outlook for patients with AKI.

Supported by a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Dr. Bajwa is launching a groundbreaking initiative to develop the first therapies aimed at restoring mitochondrial function in injured kidneys, a critical step toward preventing and treating this often-life-threatening condition. Navjot Pabla, PhD, associate professor at the Ohio State University, is a co-investigator on the project.

AKI affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, often triggered by infections, heart complications, chemotherapy, or major surgery. Many patients do not survive, and those who do are often left with lasting kidney damage. Despite its impact, treatment options remain shockingly limited.

The team's research focuses on a mitochondrial protein called Phospholipid Scramblase 3 (PLSCR3), which plays a crucial role in maintaining kidney cell viability during stress. Dr. Bajwa's lab will investigate two promising drug candidates: one newly developed by her team, and one already approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The goal is to determine whether activating this protein can prevent or halt kidney failure.

"We're not just studying kidneys, we're working to save lives," Dr. Bajwa said. "By protecting mitochondria, we can prevent kidney damage and open the door to treatments that help heal it once it's already begun."

Dr. Bajwa holds appointments across multiple departments at UT Health Science Center, including Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, and Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry. Her work could lead to the first-ever mitochondrial-targeted therapy for acute kidney injury, a game-changing advancement for a condition that has, until now, lacked answers.