Finding solutions for end-stage renal disease
Driven by a passion to help his patients, Dr. Misra has dedicated his research career to understanding the mechanisms of hemodialysis graft failure and developing novel therapies to improve vascular access patency in patients with end-stage renal disease.
Overview
The Vascular and Interventional Radiology Translational Research Laboratory, led by physician-scientist Sanjay Misra, M.D., is pursuing mechanisms responsible for hemodialysis graft failure and developing novel therapies to improve patency of the hemodialysis vascular access.
Research in our lab could help advance solutions for the approximately 600,000 people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who require regular hemodialysis. With this population estimated to double in the coming decade, it's urgent to address these unmet medical needs.
Vascular access through an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is required for optimal hemodialysis and clearance of uremic toxins. AVF failure occurs frequently because of venous stenosis formation. The patency of AVFs at one year is estimated to be only 62%. In addition, related health care expenses are high, estimated at $1 billion annually to maintain the function of hemodialysis AVFs and grafts.
Our lab studies cellular signaling and mechanisms responsible for reducing venous neointimal hyperplasia in arteriovenous fistulas. We also study treatment of renal ischemic injury using small molecule inhibitors, nanotherapies, anti-angiogenic therapies and cell-based approaches.
Dr. Misra's lab, which has studied mechanisms of venous stenosis formation for more than 11 years, discovered that using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells experimentally reduces venous neointimal hyperplasia associated with hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas. The Vascular and Interventional Radiology Translational Research Lab is recruiting participants for clinical trials related to this research.
About Dr. Misra
In addition to leading research as the principal investigator in the Vascular and Interventional Radiology Translational Research Lab, Dr. Misra is a practicing radiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who cares strongly about developing improved graft technologies and better ways to deliver hemodialysis therapies. Dr. Misra is also a professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Dr. Misra was born in India and raised in Philadelphia, where he completed most of his studies. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and his medical degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He became interested in hemodialysis graft failure because of the lack of understanding in the scientific community about why vascular accesses fail so rapidly. Dr. Misra hopes that understanding the mechanisms of hemodialysis graft failure will allow researchers to develop novel therapies to improve vascular access patency in patients.