TRIDENT

• Goals of TRIDENT

Goals of TRIDENT

1. Create an Observational Cohort 

Problem: The medical diagnosis of “diabetic kidney disease” or “diabetic nephropathy” is frequently established on clinical parameters. This disease course is heterogeneous; some patients will have stable kidney function, while others will have rapid deterioration of kidney function.

Plan: TRIDENT will recruit patients with diabetes who are undergoing clinically indicated kidney biopsies at one of our recruitment centers. We will enroll patients that meet the histologic/gold standard and diagnostic criteria of diabetic kidney disease from their biopsy. TRIDENT will follow these patients for three years to characterize changes in kidney function.

2. Perform Genetic Studies

Problem: Diabetic kidney disease runs in families, yet the genetics are poorly understood.

Plan: TRIDENT will perform genetic studies, including whole exome sequencing and epigenetic studies, to understand the heritability of diabetic kidney disease.

3. Accelerate Disease Understanding and Drug Development 

Problem: For over 20 years, no new drugs have been developed for diabetic kidney disease. 

Plan: By performing high-throughput genetic, genomic, and epigenetic studies, coupled with novel bioinformatics approaches, we will identify key disease driving pathways. These pathways will serve as novel therapeutic targets. 

4. Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers

Problem: The scarcity of disease discerning biomarkers has made the medical diagnoses of diabetic kidney disease challenging for even the most skilled physicians. 

Plan: The kidney tissue, blood, and urine samples will aid in the discovery of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers. 

5. Catalyst for Clinical Trials

Problem: Limited patient numbers per hospital center is a major barrier in furthering diabetic kidney disease research. 

Plan: TRIDENT is a unique, collaborative network of expert physicians, scientists, researchers, and pathologists from over 12 institutions across the North American medical centers collaborating with three pharmaceutical companies fully devoted to improving the lives of all patients affected by diabetic kidney disease.