Uromodulin – a good target for high blood pressure?

Genetic, molecular and functional dissection of a novel pathway for hypertension: Uromodulin, renal function, sodium homeostasis and blood pressure

In the UK, around a third of all adults have high blood pressure, putting them at higher risk of heart and circulatory disease, and people with kidney problems often develop high blood pressure and heart disease such as heart failure, stroke or even sudden cardiac death. Understanding the genes that control the function of the kidney will help provide clues as to new targets for treatments. A team from the University of Glasgow is trying to understand more about the complex causes of high blood pressure. In addition to lifestyle factors, this condition has a genetic, inherited basis but the exact genes and their effects on blood pressure have yet to be identified and characterised fully. We know that normal kidney function is required for normal blood pressure. This team is focussing on a gene called ‘uromodulin’ which may play a part in controlling blood pressure through its effects on the kidney. The researchers want to understand how variations in a stretch of DNA close to where the uromodulin gene is located affect the behaviour of the gene. They will look at the uromodulin gene and related areas of DNA in detail, as well as study mice that do not produce any uromodulin, to monitor the effects on kidney function and the circulation. This will develop a better understanding of how uromodulin is linked to blood pressure control in the hope that one day new treatments for high blood pressure may be developed based on targeting uromodulin.