British doctors have discovered a drug that protects children from potentially fatal kidney failure caused by food poisoning.
Eculizumab, already approved by the NHS to treat a rare genetic blood disorder, could also be used to save sick youngsters from dialysis, transplants and even death, experts say.
The most common cause of kidney failure in children is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) – a bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food. Symptoms can range from mild cramps to bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
In one in ten cases, STEC enters the bloodstream through the intestines and leads to damaged blood vessels, leading to the formation of blood clots in the kidneys. This is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (STEC-HUS).
The disease is particularly devastating in young children: five percent of affected children under the age of ten develop lifelong kidney failure or die.
Doctors are failing to recognize the signs of painful urinary tract infections in children, putting them at risk of kidney and bladder damage, experts warn
Now an analysis carried out by the Medical Research Council and Kidney Research UK and led by scientists at the University of Bristol has revealed how Shiga toxin damages the kidneys by attacking filter cells in organs called podocytes. The team also found that eculizumab stopped this process in laboratory animals.
The drug, sold as Soliris, is now used to treat paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria – a genetic disorder in which the immune system damages red blood cells, which play a crucial role in kidney function.
Richard Coward, professor of renal medicine at the University of Bristol, consultant pediatric nephrologist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children and one of the study’s lead authors, said: “As a pediatric kidney specialist, one of the most difficult and devastating jobs.” One of the diseases we need to treat is STEC-HUS, which leads to kidney failure and death. “We have now found that a cell in the kidney called a podocyte is an important target cell for the Shiga toxin – and that it can be treated.”
Dr Aisling McMahon, executive director of research and policy at Kidney Research UK, added: “This study shows that STEC-HUS can be stopped with a drug already in clinical use.”
The next steps for researchers are to understand how quickly eculizumab can be administered in STEC-HUC cases and to conduct studies in at-risk children.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
