2021
Mechanism of kidney disease development and CKD associated morbidities
Guest Editor:
PD Dr. Max Christoph Liebau
Klinik u. Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
Uniklinik Köln, Germany
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a major and growing socioeconomic burden especially in western countries. Within pediatrics CKD is found both as an isolated clinical feature e.g. within the frame of congenital anomalies of the kidney and the urinary tract or as part of syndromic disorders. Over the past years there has been a tremendous development in our understanding of both genetic and non-genetic causes of CKD and progression factors. First targeted therapeutic options are emerging.
The thematic series on „Mechanisms of kidney disease development and CKD associated morbidities“ within Molecular and Cellular Pediatrics aims to give the reader first insights into some important and dynamic fields of research in pediatric nephrology covering a range from direct mechanisms of disease development to mechanisms and therapeutic aspects of CKD. We thank the internationally renowned authors from the field of pediatric nephrology contributing to this series.
Perinatal Origins of Chronic Lung Disease: Mechanisms – Prevention – Therapy
Guest Editor:
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Dr. M. A. Alejandre Alcázar
Klinik u. Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin
Uniklinik Köln, Germany
Chronic lung diseases (CLD) are among the main causes of death in adults and children worldwide. The lack of preventive and curative strategies emphasizes the urgent need to identify new treatment approaches. Despite extensive studies over the last decades, the molecular mechanisms and the determinants of the susceptibility to CLD remain elusive. The incomplete development of the lungs at birth, in particular in preterm infants, renders the lung highly susceptible to injury, e.g. oxygen, mechanical ventilation, or malnutrition. Accumulating evidence indicates that adverse perinatal influences induce long-term changes in lung structure and function and increase the risk for CLD.
The series “Perinatal Origins of Chronic Lung Disease: Mechanisms – Prevention – Therapy” aims to present the perinatal period as a critical vulnerable window for CLD and to raise the awareness that this early period in life is also a window of preventive opportunity.
Pediatric Diagnostics: Novel Imaging and Biomarker Strategies
Guest Editor:
Dr. med. Ferdinand Knieling
Kinder- und Jugendklinik
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Germany
The increasing discovery of the genetic causes and molecular understanding of disease has changed established treatment paradigms towards individualized treatment strategies. Although these classes of drugs can have a fundamental impact on disease progression, there is still a significant unmet need for knowledge on the optimal timing for treatment initiation or prediction of individual response to treatment. In the future, the use of novel biomarkers and imaging techniques to diagnose and monitor patients will facilitate our understanding of how to better care for children.