title: Bardoxolone: augmenting the Yin in chronic kidney disease.
abstract: Nrf-2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) is a regulator of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification pathways. Coordinated augmentation of these key defence pathways via Nrf-2 signalling is being investigated for the treatment of chronic diseases, including diabetes and its complications. The first to reach commercial development is the triterpenoid, bardoxolone methyl. In recent clinical trial, bardoxolone rapidly improved kidney function on average by 5-10 ml/min within 4 weeks of therapy. Importantly, this improvement was sustained during one year of active treatment. This suggests that rather that overworking a failing system, bardoxolone appeared to safely augment renal function, at least to one year. If similar improvements in kidney function can be reproduced in the upcoming BEACON trial, it will represent a major advance on conventional therapy and new way to bring balance to the failing kidney.
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia. mthomas@bakeridi.edu.au
authors.forename: Merlin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016709:Yin-Yang
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495635:NFE2L2 protein, human; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; C445068:bardoxolone methyl