Better kidney health through patient-oriented research
The Can-SOLVE CKD research program comprises 18 multidisciplinary projects spanning basic science, clinical and population health research.
These projects are organized around three themes identified in collaboration with patients, health care providers, and policy-makers over three years of priority-setting discussions:
Together, the research projects will close existing gaps in kidney disease knowledge and care to deliver better health outcomes for patients. The Can-SOLVE CKD Network will achieve this ambitious vision through patient engagement and by integrating isolated pockets of basic, clinical and translational kidney research excellence across Canada.
Search research projects by theme
- All
- Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Clinical trials
- Diabetes
- Dialysis
- Digital health
- Education
- Glomerulonephritis
- Health information
- Heart Disease
- Indigenous health
- Living-donor transplantation
- Medications
- Precision medicine
- Quality of life
- Risk prediction
- Self-management
- Symptoms
- Theme 1: Earlier Diagnosis
- Theme 2: Better Treatments
- Theme 3: Innovative Care
iCARE: Improving renal complications in adolescents with type 2 diabetes through research
The AdDIT (Adolescent Diabetes Cardio-Renal Intervention Trial) and iCARE (Improving Renal Complications in Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes through Research) studies are working together to identify the most important risk factors for early kidney disease in youth with diabetes.
AdDIT: Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes Cardio-Renal Intervention Trial
AdDIT is studying an observational cohort of youth with type 1 diabetes along with a group of healthy age-matched subjects and longitudinally assessing both kidney function and cardiovascular function.
Kidney Check: Identifying kidney disease and diabetes in Indigenous communities
Using mobile lab equipment, screening teams will travel to communities and test for CKD and its risk factors, including diabetes and high blood pressure. This information will be used to determine an individual’s risk of CKD, and each person will receive a treatment plan that is tailored to their risk.
Canadian Glomerulonephritis Registry
Our project will create a network to develop personalized treatments for patients with GN and identify new ways of detecting high-risk GN.
Defining risk and personalizing treatment of patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Genetic screening and tests of kidney size can help nephrologists identify high-risk patients for new or experimental treatments, moderate-risk patients for close surveillance, and low-risk patients for reassurance. These tests, however, are costly and not widely available. We will confirm the usefulness of these tests and make them less costly, allowing for increased use in clinics.
Integrating risk-based care for patients with CKD in the community
We will test the Kidney Failure Risk equation via interactive tools in family medicine clinics across Canada. The interactive tools will help patients and their doctors gain a better understanding of their kidney health and will help guide their care.
APPROACH: Risk prediction to support shared decision-making for managing heart disease
Heart disease is a major cause of hospitalization, reduced quality of life, and shortened survival in people with kidney disease. We will develop tools to help doctors share personalized information with patients on the benefits versus risks of having a heart procedure, and help patients better communicate their own values and preferences.
Precision medicine in diabetic kidney disease
This project will take advantage of new techniques in molecular analysis to develop a personalized medicine approach to diagnosis and treatment of diabetic kidney disease.
Clinical trials of promising re-purposed drugs for ADPKD
Advances in ADPKD research have identified a number of promising therapeutic drugs. Several of these drugs are re-purposed compounds that are currently approved for diseases other than ADPKD. We plan to perform two pilot control trials of two of these therapeutic drugs to test the impact on ADPKD patients and to evaluate their potential.
ACHIEVE: Aldosterone inhibition and enhanced toxin removal in hemodialysis patients
Spironolactone is a drug that is very effective at reducing scarring of the heart and might help prevent heart-related deaths in patients with kidney failure. We will determine if spironolactone reduces heart related deaths and hospitalizations due to heart failure.
DISCO: Dialysis Symptom Control
Gabapentin and pramipexole are commonly used drugs for several conditions and are known to reduce restless legs in patients who do not have kidney disease. The results of DISCO will determine whether gabapentin, pramipexole, or both should be offered to patients receiving dialysis who suffer from restless legs.
Evaluation of sodium deposition in soft tissues of patients with kidney disease and its association with patient symptomatology
This study will try to examine sodium deposition in the skin, muscle and bones of patients with different kidney function and different dialysis modalities and its association with symptoms.
EMPATHY: Patient-reported outcomes clustered RCT
Evidence suggests that patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) have a positive impact in clinical practice; however, the impact on health outcomes and experiences is not fully understood. This research aims to fill this gap by evaluating the impact of routinely measuring and reporting patient-reported experience and outcomes, clinical outcomes, and healthcare utilization.
Triple I: Restructuring kidney care to meet the needs of 21st century patients
New technologies make it possible for patients to communicate with their health professionals and manage their own health information. Our team of patients, researchers, clinicians and health care decision-makers will reinvent kidney care to reflect the needs and capabilities of patients in the 21st century.
STOP Med-HD: Strategic optimization of prescription medication use in patients on hemodialysis
Patients on hemodialysis take 12 medications per day on average. This project will develop tools to help reduce the use of medications that lack evidence for effectiveness and safety in hemodialysis patients.
Strategies to enhance patient self-management of CKD
This research project aims to understand how we can empower patients to self-manage their chronic kidney disease to improve disease progression and overall patient experience and well-being.
Improving Indigenous patient knowledge about treatment options
In partnership with Indigenous patients and families who have or are affected by CKD, we will work together in participating communities to develop a unique suite of educational approaches for treatment options for failing kidneys specifically for the Indigenous population.
Increasing the use of living donor kidney transplantation
This project will develop solutions to help overcome barriers to living kidney donor transplantation. It will also evaluate the impact of these solutions on patient experiences, outcomes and health care system costs.
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