Discussion of the select use of in-vivo and in-vitro models to investigate Polycystic Kidney Disease : an introduction for the untrained research worker : and, what is the status quo?

Before the 1960s, kidney disease invariably proved fatal and thousands of Australians died from this disease. It was amongst the top five leading causes of death at that time. Over the past few decades significant progress has been made in both the treatment and prevention of kidney failure and it should be remembered that much of this progress has resulted from basic research involving the use of laboratory animals. For example, some of these advances have included providing the materials used to construct the first successful shunt which allowed patients with kidney failure to be connected to dialysis machines for long-term treatment. Other studies using mice and guinea pigs, have provided an understanding of the immune basis for how the body rejects transplanted tissue which have led to the development of drugs that can effectively suppress these rejection reactions. One of these drugs has been ‘cyclosporine’ which has had a dramatic effect on the success rate of kidney transplants and which has permitted the successful transplantation of other organs such as the heart and liver.