ICMR Begins Kidney Disease Study in Uddanam
The Department of Health Research (DHR), Government of India, has approved the “Srikakulam Kidney Research Project” through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to support early detection of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district.
Project mentor Dr. T. Ravi Raju, a noted nephrologist and former Vice-Chancellor of NTR University of Health Sciences, said the study aims to detect the disease at an early stage using advanced biomarkers. This approach, he said, could improve patient outcomes by enabling treatment before the condition worsens.
Addressing the media in Visakhapatnam on Friday, Dr. Raju, along with Dr. G. Prasad, principal investigator and head of nephrology at Andhra Medical College (AMC), said the study’s findings could support the introduction of “quadruple therapy,” a treatment strategy that has shown potential to slow chronic kidney disease progression and reduce dependence on dialysis or kidney transplantation.
The project will also carry out comprehensive epidemiological studies to identify environmental or genetic factors contributing to CKDu in Uddanam. RNA sequencing and genetic analysis will examine whether the affected population has any genetic susceptibility.
Dr. Raju said the DHR will fund the creation of a dedicated research laboratory at AMC and provide resources for epidemiological, biochemical and biomarker-based investigations. The project also includes personnel support and upgraded diagnostic infrastructure.
Reflecting on his earlier work in the area, Dr. Raju noted that in the early 1990s many kidney patients from Srikakulam sought care at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam. Subsequent field studies showed that nearly 18 percent of Uddanam’s residents had signs of chronic kidney disease, and about 75 percent of those cases had no identifiable cause. Most patients were agricultural workers, he said.
Dr. Raju added that, unlike typical CKD patients, those from Uddanam did not have diabetes or hypertension, making the condition difficult to explain. He expressed confidence that the current research effort would help uncover the root causes and guide effective prevention and treatment strategies for the region.
AMC principal Dr. KVSM Sandhya Devi and vice-principal Dr. A. Krishnaveni were also present.