New PKD Research: Dr. Marie Trudel Explains a Potential New Treatment Target for ADPKD | Webinar video
This video was presented live on March 30, 2026.
People living with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) often ask what new PKD research could lead to better treatments in the future. While no single study provides an immediate new therapy, each discovery helps researchers better understand how kidney cysts develop and identifies potential new ways to slow disease progression.
In this educational webinar, molecular geneticist Dr. Marie Trudel shares findings from new ADPKD research funded by the PKD Foundation of Canada. Her team's study examined a potassium channel in kidney cells called KCa3.1, which helps move salt and water into kidney cysts. Because cyst growth depends on fluid accumulating inside cysts, the researchers investigated whether blocking this channel could help slow kidney cyst growth.
The study found that:
- KCa3.1 levels are increased in ADPKD kidneys.
- Activating this channel increased kidney cyst growth.
- Blocking it slowed cyst growth in PKD mouse models.
These findings identify KCa3.1 as a promising potential treatment target for ADPKD and provide an important foundation for future PKD research aimed at developing new treatments.
Thanks to the generous support of donors, the PKD Foundation of Canada funded the publication of this research, making these findings freely accessible to clinicians, researchers, patients, and families around the world.
Watch this webinar to learn more about this promising new area of PKD research, what it could mean for the future of ADPKD treatment, and how donor support is helping advance research into slowing kidney cyst growth.
About the presenter
Dr. Marie Trudel is a molecular geneticist whose research has focused on understanding the biological mechanisms behind autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Over more than 30 years, her laboratory built a major research program dedicated to uncovering how the PKD1 gene functions and how its disruption leads to cyst growth in the kidneys and other organs.
Her team developed highly regarded mouse models that closely mirror human ADPKD, including kidney cysts as well as liver, cardiovascular, and vascular complications. This work helped identify key cellular pathways involved in cyst formation and progression, and pointed to promising therapeutic targets for future treatments.
Dr. Trudel completed her PhD in biochemistry in Paris and pursued postdoctoral training in the United Kingdom and the United States. Throughout her career, she has received sustained research funding from Canadian and international agencies, including CIHR, NIH, and PKD foundations in Canada and the United States. Her work has contributed significantly to advancing the scientific understanding of ADPKD and laying the groundwork for new treatment strategies.
Reference
Yao G, Kurbegovic A, Parrot C, Foley W, Roman W, Alper SL, Trudel M. Kcnn4/KCa3.1 inhibition blunts polycystic kidney disease progression in mouse models. JCI Insight. 2025;10(20):e191311. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.191311.