The kidney community newsletter | Spring 2016 by The Kidney Foundation

SPRING 2016

The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

newsletter

GIFT OF LIFE HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Nine awards conferred in 2015 page 3

ORGAN DONATION

Quebec set a new record for organ donation in 2015 page 3

RESEARCH

4½-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM TRUDEL AT THE 2015 ROUYN-NORANDA KIDNEY WALK

New molecule accelerates tissue regeneration after injury page 10

Take part in the 2016 Kidney Walk! page 5 to 8

Skeletal disorders associated with kidney failure page 11

The personal information you have provided is used only to send you this newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive it, please e-mail us at infoquebec@kidney.ca or call us at 514-938-4515.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear readers: Help enrich our newsletter by sharing your experiences with kidney disease or transplants! Please send a text of up to 300 words, along with a high-resolution photo, to infoquebec@kidney.ca.

After volunteering for a number of years and serving as President for the past two, I am approaching the end of my mandate. It was a pleasure to work with you to help thousands of people affected both directly and indirectly by the serious illness known as kidney failure.

COORDINATION AND WRITING Antoine Ardiley GRAPHICS AND PUBLISHING Ardecom PRODUCTION Ardecom CONTACT US: The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch 2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West, Montreal, QC H3H 2R5 TELEPHONE 514-938-4515 or 1-800-565-4515 FAX 514-938-4757 E-MAIL infoquebec@kidney.ca Circulation : 10,000 copies The newsletter is published three times a year by the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Distributed in English and French to all people suffering from kidney failure, these publications provide valuable information on the Foundation’s services and activities, including the latest news about kidney disease and organ donation. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, its directors, employees or members. Moving? Write us at: infoquebec@kidney.ca. Articles may be reproduced provided that proper credit is given.

Given that an organization like The Kidney Foundation of Canada simply could not exist were it not for its volunteers, I would like to use this last President’s Message to make one final appeal. Of course, we need your donations, but we also need volunteers to bring our projects to fruition. With thousands of people suffering from kidney failure, patients and their families are seriously affected. Yet despite this, not enough people get involved in the cause, which is a terrible shame. Hundreds of activities are organized across the province. Some of them are corporate, while others are organized by people like you. But what really matters is that they all benefit your Kidney Foundation. Please consider this my personal appeal to you to get involved with your Foundation... to help give others a new lease on life! The Foundation carries out many fundraising activities, including the Kidney Walk, which takes place in 23 different cities in Quebec, the Door-to-Door Campaign, social events across the province and golf days. Our services include research, an area that we have invested over $110 million in since the Foundation was created in

1964. Then there are the prevention kiosks, the scholarship program for kidney patients and kidney transplant recipients, the summer camp for kids on dialysis and those who have had a transplant, support groups, conferences, symposiums and so much more. And on top of all that, we also work with the various levels of government to foster the well-being of everyone affected by kidney disease. In the last few years, our efforts have paid off. The number of transplants is growing, new dialysis centres have been created and old ones renovated, and we believe that we have made a real difference. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the entire Foundation staff for its unwavering support over the past few years. And to all our volunteers, thank you for your hard work and dedication. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is YOUR foundation: we are here for you. In closing, I encourage you all to come out and take part in the Kidney Walks to be held this May and June in 23 cities across Quebec. Register today, form a team and start raising funds by encouraging your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you in order to support medical research, patient services and the promotion of organ donation. If we are to give people a new lease on life, The Kidney Foundation of Canada needs each and every one of you. Simon Brodeur President The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Quebec Branch

LAUNCH OF A BOOK, A SHARE OF WHOSE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE FOUNDATION “On December 6, 2012, I donated a kidney to my son Benoît, who was suffering from degenerative kidney disease. Without the transplant, he would have been forced to go on dialysis and his quality of life would have seriously declined. I have dedicated most of my career to helping organizations achieve organizational change and transformation. Through my involvement with The Kidney Foundation of Canada, I hope to effect change within society as a whole by raising the organ donation rate. That’s why my share of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to The Kidney Foundation of Canada.”

SYLVIE CHARBONNEAU, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, BRIO CONSEILS VOYAGE AU CŒUR D’UNE TRANSFORMATION ORGANISATIONNELLE RÉCIT ET GUIDE PAS À PAS JFD Éditions By Céline Bareil, Sylvie Charbonneau et Aline Baron

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The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

THREE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANADA - QUEBEC BRANCH: SIMON BRODEUR, PRESIDENT, SYLVIE CHARBONNEAU, VICE-PRESIDENT FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ANTOINE BEAUVAIS, VICE-PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, ALONG WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE QUEBEC BRANCH, MARTIN MUNGER.

ORGAN DONATION

PATIENT SERVICES

NINE “GIFT OF LIFE” HUMANITARIAN AWARDS CONFERRED IN 2015

A NEW GUIDE FOR PATIENTS

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is pleased to confer the 2015 “Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award on: • Euro-Excellence (Candiac) • Caisse Desjardins Pierre Boucher (Longueuil) • Pratt & Whitney Canada (Longueuil) • Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal) • Sainte Justine Hospital (Montréal) • Scierie Arbec (Port-Cartier) • Rona l’Entrepôt (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) • MF2 AERO (Trois-Rivières) • Brio Conseils Inc

THE MONTREAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL NEPHROLOGY TEAM

We congratulate these private-sector businesses and government institutions on earning this award highlighting their efforts to promote organ donation. To receive the “Gift of Life” Humanitarian Award, an employer needs to have provided one or more of its employees, whether kidney donors or recipients, with conditions that meet the following criteria: • Employee’s regular salary is paid before, during and after the kidney transplant or donation • Flextime or paid leave for medical exams or activities related to the organ donation or transplantation process is provided • Access to psychological, financial or other support is provided • The employee’s tasks are lightened or modified upon his or her return to work according to the type of position held • The employee’s job is maintained with the same conditions and benefits.

A revised and updated guide for patients was officially launched on March 10, 2016, at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. The guide, updated to better reflect the different stages of kidney failure, is now available as two separate booklets: Living with Impaired Kidney Function and Living with End-stage Renal Failure. The booklets were created to help patients suffering from kidney failure by providing them with information on managing their illness, specifically with respect to treatments, diet and medication, customized treatment plans and practical issues like work, finances and insurance.

Would you also like to see your employer recognized for its humanitarian efforts? Visit kidney.ca/humanitarian and complete the nomination form.

A RECORD YEAR FOR ORGAN DONATION IN QUEBEC Quebec set a new record for organ donation in 2015: 172 deceased persons donated their organs, helping to treat 549 people. The previous record, established in 2013, was 165 donors. 343 kidney transplants were carried out in Quebec (55 thanks to living donors) while the average is approximately 250 per year. As a result, the waiting list has become shorter for the fourth year in a row; on December 31, 2015, the list had 856 people on it, 75% of whom were awaiting a kidney.

SILÈNE BEAUREGARD AND BENOÎT DESJARDINS WITH THEIR CHILDREN MARCELLINE AND HADRIEN

“The Foundation’s guide really helped us understand our children’s illness and better prepared us for life with this new reality,” said Silène Beauregard, Marcelline and Hadrien’s mother. The launch was an opportunity to acknowledge the support received from health professionals working in nephrology and from donors, which helped make this project possible.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is thrilled about these new figures and wishes to congratulate everyone who has helped make these outcomes possible. However, many challenges still need to be overcome if we are to see the waiting list shrink further and one day vanish completely. The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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NEWS FROM THE CHAPTERS

Quebec City

21ST QUEBEC CITY CHAPTER GOLF TOURNAMENT The 21st edition of the Quebec City Chapter Golf Tournament will take place on June 13, 2016, at Club de golf des Pins in St Alban de Portneuf. The Honorary Chairs of this year’s event will be Fernand Dufresne, President of Preverco Inc., and Charles DeBlois, Partner at Groupe DeBlois & Tremblay, RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Individual tickets are priced at $200; foursomes may be purchased for $750. For information contact Maryse Néron at 418-683-1449 or maryse.neron@kidney.ca. THE MCKESSON COMPANY, WINNER OF THE 2015 GOLF TOURNAMENT EDITION.

South Shore

LAUNCH OF QUEBEC’S FIRST-EVER ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

The first meeting of the Association des Greffés Rive-Sud (AGRS) was held on March 14, 2016. Its members were brought together by Chambly resident Josée Denis who had a transplant in 2013 and is being monitored by Dr. Olivier Diec’s team at Charles-LeMoyne Hospital. The association was created to provide South Shore and Montérégie transplant recipients with opportunities to meet and share ideas and plans for the future. The South Shore Chapter of The Kidney Foundation of Canada will also provide the association with visibility, for instance, during organ donation week and the Kidney Walk, thereby raising public awareness of both organ donation and kidney transplants. The awareness-raising efforts will be overseen by people who have had transplants and will seek to help anyone who wants to improve the quality of their new life!

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The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

Mauricie/Centre-du-Québec On April 18, 2016, a conference was held at the Trois-Rivières Regional Hospital on the theme of “Living Donor Kidney Transplants.” The event was hosted by nephrologist Isabelle Houde from CHUQ, Quebec City’s teaching hospital. Attended by kidney patients awaiting a transplant, as well as their families and friends, the conference covered a range of topics that included donating a kidney and donor quality of life, the donor’s life after the operation, organ donation and possible health risks, and how to ask someone you know to make this life-giving donation.

DR. ISABELLE HOUDE, NEPHROLOGIST AT CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE DE QUÉBEC

THE 2016 KIDNEY WALK

THE KIDNEY WALK TURNS 10 THIS YEAR!

Register for the 2016 KIDNEY WALK today at kidney.ca/quebecwalk, form a team and start raising funds. Join us in celebrating this milestone anniversary and help us reach our $525,000 objective. The Kidney Walk will be held in cities across Quebec on various dates in May and June 2016:

This year is a special one for the Kidney Walk, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Over the years, the Kidney Walk has become the year’s top event for patients, their family members and health professionals. The Walk’s success can safely be attributed to the many people who take part. Thanks to you, the Kidney Walk has become a huge celebration bringing together Foundation supporters year after year. And thanks to the Walk, the Foundation can pursue its mission of funding patient services and research while promoting organ donation.

NATIONAL SPONSOR

QUEBEC SPONSORS

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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THE 2016 WALK | INSPIRING TESTIMONIALS AND PORTRAITS The Kidney Walk would not exist were it not for the invaluable commitment and involvement of countless volunteers and participants. Read their stories to find out what motivates them to get involved and walk the Walk with the Foundation.

Buckingham Walk

Val-d’Or Walk

Twenty-three years ago, I had the privilege of donating a kidney to my brother André, who suffered from kidney failure, so I could help improve his quality of life. While this act might ANDRÉ AND SYLVAIN CHARRON seem heroic to some, I can say in all humility that to me, the true heroes are those who live with this terrible disease and have to undergo four hours of hemodialysis three times a week, and who will likely have to live with this reality for the rest of their lives.

May 25, 2015, is a day I’ll never forget. It wasn’t my birthday, but it might as well have been... Thanks to my dad who gave me one of his kidneys, that was the day I stopped surviving and began living again. Kidney disease came into my life the way lightning strikes a tree: suddenly, brutally and with destructive force.

The Charron family walks as a team

I take part in this event to acknowledge, on behalf of everyone with kidney disease and their loved ones, the scientific advances that have been made to minimize the impacts of the illness thanks to the fundraising campaigns organized by The Kidney Foundation of Canada to support research. Every dollar raised has led to remarkable advances that have given people with kidney disease hope for a better life. These advances have also made organ donation easier both for living and deceased donors. I am the Honorary Chair of the Buckingham Kidney Walk and I’d like to invite you to come walk with us on May 22, 2016, at MacLaren Park to help everyone living with kidney failure. Sylvain Charron

Longueuil Walk

Health professionals join forces Dynamic, vibrant and exuberant are just a few of the adjectives used to describe them. Marie-Claude Hamelin, Anne-Marie Dupuy and Left to right: MARIE-CLAUDE HAMELIN, Marie-Claude Porlier are ANNE-MARIE-DUPUY AND MARIE-CLAUDE PORLIER the “awesome threesome” from Charles-LeMoyne Hospital’s nephrology department. To the kidney patients at Charles-LeMoyne Hospital, be they transplant recipients or patients either on dialysis or soon to be, the threesome is as well known as the mayor of Longueuil. They love their patients and devote all their time and energy to their work on a daily basis. Regardless of patients’ age, mobility and overall health, these three healthcare professionals are all smiles from the get-go. They work their magic, and when they’re around, patients tend to forget they’re sick! Marie-Claude Hamelin, Anne-Marie Dupuy and Marie-Claude Porlier plan to attend the South Shore Kidney Walk and encourage you to join them on Sunday, May 29, 2016, at MarieVictorin Park. | 6 |

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

The Veillet family invites you to form a team of parents and kids to walk the Kidney Walk

Before I was diagnosed, I was oblivious to kidney health. The Kidney Walk has become my way SAMUEL AND MAURICE VEILLET of talking about kidney disease and organ donation, and of sensitizing people to the cause. It’s also a great way to fund The Kidney Foundation of Canada, which in turn funds research that gives us hope for better days. This year, my father and I will be serving as Honorary Chairs of the Kidney Walk in Val-d’Or. On May 29, 2016, meet us at the information centre at Val-d’Or’s recreational forest to walk, promote organ donation and improve quality of life for people suffering from kidney disease. Samuel Veillet

Gatineau Walk

A Gatineau teacher encourages his students to take part in the Kidney Walk Alain David is a teacher at École Grande-Rivière in Gatineau. Every year for the past five years, he has invited Laureen Bureau and other volunteers from the Gatineau Chapter to give a presentation on organ donation to his five grade 9 and 10 classes. In fact, it was through these talks that Alain learned about the importance of organ donation and began seriously considering becoming an altruistic living donor. In 2015, he underwent the required medical tests to donate one of his kidneys. He’s in good health and hopes to help ease the suffering of people living with kidney failure. “The real heroes are those who have to undergo dialysis,” he says. He underwent the last of his medical tests in early March and expects to donate a kidney later this spring. As a result of his outstanding commitment to organ donation, Alain David received this year’s Volunteer of the Year Award from the Outaouais Chapter. Alain invites you to the Gatineau Walk set to take place on Sunday, June 5, 2016, at the sports complex at École Mont-Bleu in the Hull district.

ALAIN DAVID

THE 2016 WALK | INSPIRING TESTIMONIALS AND PORTRAITS

Southern Lanaudière Walk (Terrebonne) Claudette Lapointe invites all living donors to take part in the Kidney Walk I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy good health my entire life. My brother was not so lucky. In 2011, doctors told him that his kidneys were badly damaged and that he would have to undergo dialysis treatments, at least in the short run. He was completely devastated when he gave me the news, but I simply said to him: “I’ll give you a kidney.” And he replied, “You’d do that?” “Of course,” I said, and a glimmer of hope lit up his eyes. To me, there really was no other solution: it was the only solution, and it’s one I’ve never doubted. Good news soon followed: the blood tests determined that we were 100% compatible. A perfect match. The operation took place on June 16, 2014. I was 68 years old and knew the operation would be a success. And it was in every respect. CLAUDETTE LAPOINTE

The following day, I was already taking my first steps in the hospital corridor. And my brother? He was a new man! The entire medical team was impressed by his outstandingly speedy recovery. Three days later,

I was back at home, on cloud nine, overwhelmed by an incredible sense of well-being. I did what I had to do. Today, my brother is living out one of his dreams: he’s sailing the seas down south. I haven’t seen him so happy in a long time. And this whole experience has done me so much good. I helped give someone I love a new lease on life. The Kidney Foundation of Canada and my participation in the Kidney Walk have given me opportunities to share my experience and prove that it is possible to be a living kidney donor and have a perfectly normal life afterwards. What’s more, I’m hoping my story will encourage others to do the same and that they’ll give someone in need a second chance at life. My story is meant to bring hope. I hope it will encourage other donations like mine. On May 29, 2016, I will be at Terrebonne’s Saint-Sacrement Park to celebrate the Kidney Walk’s 10th anniversary. Will I see you there? Claudette Lapointe

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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THE 2016 KIDNEY WALK

Kenny U-Pull partners with The Kidney Foundation of Canada through the Kidney Car Auto Recycling Program, and is also a sponsor of the 10th edition of the Kidney Walk. An interview with Guy Langlois, General Manager of Kenny U-Pull, who talks about the Kidney Car Program, recycling cars, and the Foundation. Why did Kenny U-Pull team up with the Quebec Branch of The Kidney Foundation of Canada through the Kidney Car Program? In 1995, Kidney Foundation of Canada volunteer Jean Rousselle approached us on behalf of the Foundation, which wanted to launch the program in Quebec. We gladly GUY LANGLOIS General Manager at Kenny U-Pull accepted the offer, though at the time we didn’t think it would work out. Over the years, our two-pronged growth brought our partnership to a whole new level. Kenny U-Pull’s expansion across Quebec and the steady rise in donations for the Foundation are the result of our cooperation and shared enthusiasm. How is the partnership between the Foundation and Kenny U-Pull working out? Very well! AIM (American Iron & Metal) and Kenny U-Pull are proud to be associated with this cause. We have eight sites in Quebec, so we’re able to accept donations of cars province-wide.

I personally worked at The Kidney Foundation of Canada for 15 years, so it’s a cause I really care about. Kenny is a business with solid financials, making it the ideal partner for the Foundation. Since 1995, 76,000 cars—that’s over 3,000 a year—have been recycled thanks to the Kidney Car Program. What challenges does the program face in the coming years? The biggest challenge is competition, specifically the many similar programs being launched. You could say that we’re the victims of our own success. But the program is well known and our service is impeccable and professional, so we still have the upper hand. Thanks to our innovative products and services, we’ll be able to maintain our lead for years to come.

PROUD PARTNER OF THE KIDNEY WALK

Describe the steps that lead up to the complete recycling of a car donated as part of the Kidney Car Program. The process starts with a phone call. We have a team of people who answer calls about donations and we treat callers with sympathy and kindness. Then the recycling process begins: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The vehicle is towed (if necessary). The vehicle arrives at one of our sites. The vehicle is identified. The vehicle is inspected. The oils, fuel, brake fluid, refrigerant (from the air conditioner) and antifreeze are removed from the vehicle and recovered according to regulations. 6. Hazardous materials are recovered: batteries, mercury and sodium azide (contained in the air bags). 7. The vehicle is placed in our yard so its parts can be sold at unbeatable prices. 8. Once all the reusable parts have been sold, we compact the stripped vehicle if necessary to transport it to one of our recycling centres. 9. The metal is fully recycled at one of our plants. 10. The vehicle’s metal is returned to its original state and can then be used to make something new.

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The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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PLANNED GIFTS AND BEQUESTS

Planned gifts provide concrete economic spin-offs for the Foundation, which acquires the funds needed to finance its programs and services and to support research. Regardless of how you plan your gift, please see it as a lasting investment in The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Here are a few of the ways you can leave a lasting legacy to the Foundation: Bequests A bequest is simply a way to transfer a portion of your estate to The Kidney Foundation of Canada through your will. Bequests can take a number of forms. It is important to clearly state the form of bequest you have chosen, as well as how you would like your assets apportioned and your final wishes executed. Memorial donations Memorial donations are a way to keep the memory of a departed loved one or family member alive. If the person you cared about succumbed to an illness, you might want to donate funds to help other people facing kidney disease or to help The Kidney Foundation of Canada for having helped your loved one during his or her lifetime. By making this kind of donation, you can rest assured that The Kidney Foundation of Canada will have a lasting memory of the person who passed away. Tribute gifts These are donations made to The Kidney Foundation of Canada to pay tribute to a friend, family member or person you greatly respect, and whom the Foundation in some way helped. This way, you can rest assured that The Kidney Foundation of Canada will keep that person’s memory alive while continuing to contribute to the well-being of society. Donations of cash or securities Gifts of cash or publicly traded securities can be made throughout your lifetime in the form of cash, cheques, credit card payments or

Legacy Giving Society Making a planned gift to the Kidney Foundationof Canada is a way to make an especially meaningful gift with lasting impact.

preauthorized monthly instalments. They can also take the form of general donations included in a will. Insurance policy donations To donate an insurance policy, you simply need to name The Kidney Foundation of Canada as your policy’s beneficiary. That way, you have full control over the policy, and the Foundation will receive the insurance proceeds after you pass away. RRSP and RRIF donations To donate a retirement plan to The Kidney Foundation of Canada, all you need to do is name it as a beneficiary of the policy. That way, after you pass on, the Foundation will receive the proceeds of the retirement plan, while your estate receives a tax receipt. Thanks to your act of goodwill, the receipt will lower the taxes your estate could have to pay after you go. Charitable remainder trust donations A trust is said to have made a donation when you designate The Kidney Foundation of Canada as a second-degree beneficiary of an irrevocable trust. You, and if applicable your spouse, are considered direct beneficiaries. Throughout your life, or for a defined period, you will receive a predetermined amount from the trust; when you die, The Kidney Foundation of Canada will receive instalment payments until the end of the guarantee period.

Source : LEAVE A LEGACY™ Québec

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A TESTAMENTARY DONATION? If you would like to learn more about how to make your own bequest, please contact Martin Munger at martin.munger@kidney. ca or 1-800-565-4515, extension 231.

PROMETIC PROUD PARTNER OF THE KIDNEY WALK

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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RESEARCH

NEW MOLECULE ACCELERATES TISSUE REGENERATION AFTER INJURY By Carole G. Campion, Ph. D. The number of cases of chronic kidney failure is rising steadily, mainly due to diseases linked to high blood pressure and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes. Unlike acute kidney failure, whose onset is fast and sudden, chronic kidney failure develops slowly over a number of years. In fact, it develops so slowly that it can go unnoticed for a long time, and by the time a diagnosis is made, it’s too late. The damage to the kidneys is done; it is irreversible and leads to end-stage renal failure. When that happens, patients need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Our bodies are capable of repairing tissue alterations caused by a range of aggressions and inflammation. But in humans, unlike in some fish, the kidneys have only a very limited ability to regenerate. The proximal convoluted tubule is the portion of the kidney most affected by an ischemic or toxic injury, and tubular cells have a greater ability to regenerate than glomerular cells do. Our laboratory has identified a protein that can accelerate tissue repair following renal injury. This protein, called HCaRG, belongs to the COMMD family of proteins and is also called COMMD5. Our findings, which were published in the journal JASN in 2011, showed that HCaRG is expressed primarily in the proximal renal tubules and that its overexpression in transgenic mice cut mortality due to kidney damage in these mice by more than half (ischemic/reperfusion model). The expression of HCaRG enabled renal regeneration to accelerate by facilitating: 1) the redifferentiation into fibroblasts of the epithelial cells located adjacent to affected cells, 2) their migration toward the wound, and 3) their subsequent redifferentiation into functional epithelial cells, as we had demonstrated a few years earlier

using cell cultures. HCaRG enabled transgenic mice to recover normal kidney function more quickly, while significantly reducing tissue inflammation. Since the 1980s, a number of studies have looked at the growth factors involved in tissue regeneration. Our recent data demonstrates that HCaRG controls the activation of the early growth factor receptor (EGFR). This receptor is essential to nephrogenesis and is known to be a crucial mediator in the repair of renal tissue following injury. The activation of this receptor on the surface of the cells induces the redifferentiation of the renal cells which then present a phenotype of stem cells with the potential to divide more rapidly, thereby enabling the repopulation of the affected tissue. However, it then becomes necessary to deactivate this receptor in order to induce cellular redifferentiation and the return to a normal, mature epithelium. Chronic or constitutive activation of EGFR is linked to the development of certain forms of kidney disease.

Given that abnormal activation of EGFR is also involved in the progression of a number of types of cancer, we wondered whether HCaRG could also affect tumour progression. We overexpressed HCaRG in renal carcinomas, which we then injected into mice. The overexpression of HCaRG inhibited tumour growth and angiogenesis, and facilitated the redifferentiation of epithelial cells. In this model, HCaRG inhibited the EGFR receptor and that of other members of the same family (ErbB2, ErbB3). Based on our findings, the protein HCaRG has all the potential to become a new therapeutic target in kidney disease and cancer.

Our results show that HCaRG is capable of both bolstering the activation of EGFR and then deactivating it quickly, thereby shortening the receptor’s signal and effecting the return to a well differentiated cell.

Carole G. Campion, PhD, received a Krescent postdoctoral fellowship valued at $55,000 for three years (2015–2017). Carole is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Johanne Tremblay’s laboratory in the cardiometabolic section of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM). The goal of Carole’s research is to identify the mechanisms that could improve renal tissue regeneration, which would constitute an unexpected solution for end-phase renal failure, as well as for kidney cancer. CAROLE CAMPION

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These results situate HCaRG as a new molecule that could contribute to repairing and regenerating damaged tissues, thereby accelerating and bolstering the natural healing process.

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

RESEARCH

SKELETAL DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH KIDNEY FAILURE Bone and mineral disorders affect every patients with chronic kidney disease and are characterized by anomalies of bone morphology and vessels structure. These anomalies then lead to increased morbidity and mortality through bone fractures and enhanced vascular pathology. Recent studies suggest that osteocytes (the most abundant bone cells) anomalies, through sclerostin secretion, may contribute to the development of bone remodelling and vascular defects in chronic kidney disease population. The objective of Dr Mac-Way’s research is to determine how osteocytes dysfunction lead to bone and vascular disorders in chronic kidney disease through translationnal researches from animal models to humans. Understanding new mechanisms of mineral and bone dysregulation could lead to new therapies to prevent and reduce the bone and vascular complications in chronic kidney disease population.

Dr Fabrice Mac-Way is a nephrologist and clinicianscientist at Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Hôtel-Dieu de Québec pavilion. He is an Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology, at Laval University. He completed his residency at Laval University and underwent a post-doctoral training in bone biology at Université de Lyon, St-Etienne (France) where he developped an expertise in assessment of bone microarchitecture, mineralisation and remodelling (bone histomorphometry analysis) in both animals and humans in the context of chronic kidney disease. He then completed his post-doctoral training in the study of bone-vessels interaction in chronic kidney disease. Dr. Fabrice Mac-Way received a $25,000 KRESCENT Infrastructure Support Grant for New Researchers (as part of the Kidney Foundation of Canada grant program) to cover the DR FABRICE 2015–2016 period. MAC-WAY

The number of patients being treated for kidney failure has tripled over the past 20 years. The person affected with kidney disease spends close to a 1,000 hours per year on dialysis only to guarantee survival. THESE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING.

The Kidney Community Newsletter SPRING 2016

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La Division du Québec de La Fondation canadienne du rein2016

THE QUEBEC BRANCH OF THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANADA 2300 René-Lévesque Blvd West Montreal, Quebec H3H 2R5boul. René-Lévesque Ouest 2300, Phone: (514) 938-4515 • 1 800 565-4515 (Québec) H3H 2R5 Fax: (514) 938-4757Montréal • infoquebec@kidney.ca Tél. : (514) 938-4515 • 1 800 565-4515 www.kidney.ca/quebec

Téléc. : (514) 938-4757 • infoquebec@rein.ca

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Oui, je suis âgé(e) d’au moins 18 ans et je veux devenir membre La Fondation canadienne du rein. ❒DONATION FORM Veuillez trouver ci-joint ma cotisation de membre au montant de 10 $. Aucun reçu officiel fins de l’impôt ne sera envoyé pour votre cotisation de membre. I WOULD LIKE TO aux DONATE TO THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANADA Les renseignements que vous nous avez donnés sont utilisés à titre administratif pour émettre des reçus fiscaux. Nous ne les conservons pas électroniquement. Please find enclosed my donation for:

par courriel à l’adresse : $20m’envoyer  $35le bulletin  $50  $100  suivante Other amount ❒ S.V.P. (Je fais aussi économiser la Fondation des frais postaux)

Cheque made TheàKidney Foundation of Canada.du rein Jesouhaite faireout untodon La Fondation canadienne  Visa

 MasterCard

❒ Oui, je désire faire un don à La Fondation canadienne du rein. Veuillez trouver ci-joint mon don au montant de : $ number Credit card ❒ 20 ❒ 35 $

❒ 50 $

❒ 100 $

Autre

Contribution totale = Signature ❒ Chèque libellé à l’ordre de La Fondation canadienne du rein.

Expiry Date

An❒ official for tax purposes willde becarte issued all donations of $20 or more. Visa receipt Numéro defor crédit ❒ MasterCard

Date d’expiration  I would like to receive my tax receipt by email – I therefore understand that I will not get one by mail. Signature Date  Please remove my name from your mailing lists. Un reçu officiel pour fins d’impôt sera émis pour tout don de 20 $ et plus.

We will use the information contained in this form to send you news about kidney health and advances in research, to keep you informed about the social issues surrounding patient care, and notify you of our various outreach initiatives and fundraising activities.

JeIfsouhaite m’impliquer bénévolement (SVP indiquez-nous quelle région) you would prefer not to be contacted regarding any of the above, please call us dans toll-free at 1-877-361-4947. Abitibi-Témiscamingue Mauricie ❒Please ❒ Estrie ❒your allow thirty (30) business days for changes❒ to Montérégie be processed. ❒ Montréal ❒ Outaouais ❒ Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean ❒ Québec

❒

Veuillez retirer mon nom de vos listes d’envoi.

Nous pourrions utiliser les renseignements contenus sur cette fiche pour communiquer avec vous dans une correspondance future, notamment pour vous signaler nos campagnes de financement. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nous vous contactions à cet effet, nous vous prions de nous appeler au numéro de téléphone suivant : 1 877 361-4947 Prière de nous accorder 30 jours ouvrables pour procéder au changement.

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