NEPHROLOGY AREA

( prof. Francesco Trepiccione)

The aim of the Translational Nephrology laboratory is to advance the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying kidney diseases in order to identify new therapeutic targets or new prevention and diagnosis factors. The nephrology laboratory is divided into three thematic areas:

Rare diseases (Anna Iervolino, PhD)

Starting from the generation of mouse and zebrafish models of kidney diseases, we study the causal mechanisms of specific rare nephrological diseases, such as Fanconi syndrome, Bartter syndrome, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, Bardet-Biedl syndrome and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. We recently started also a preclinical study for gene therapy of specific tubulopathies.

Renal Molecular and Cellular Physiology (Yoko Suzumoto, PhD)

It studies the renal function at the cellular and molecular level in different physiopathological conditions in order to identify the mechanisms underlying complex diseases such as arterial hypertension. Also in this case, using a mouse model of renal-dependent hypertension, it is investigated at the molecular level the possible interaction between gut microbiome and arterial hypertension. Other projects concern the clinical use of paraoxonase-2 and the implementation of anti-aging strategies of the peritoneal membrane during peritoneal dialysis.

Kidney-Brain (Prof. Giovambattista Capasso)

Kidney failure, especially the advanced one, is often complicated by a significant reduction in cognitive abilities. In the laboratory, using experimental models of chronic kidney failure and the technologies necessary for the characterization of cognitive functions in rodents, we study the factors responsible for this correlation, also using new imaging technologies, in order to identify the relevant molecular processes and possibly identify potential new therapies.

In addition to the common techniques of molecular biology and histology, our laboratory has the expertise and the technology necessary for the study of the nephron’s individual tubular portions through:

• Kidney micropuncture: a technique that makes possible the collection and/or injection of compounds directly into the tubular or vascular lumen of the individual kidney’s tubular segments.

• Live imaging through two-photon microscopy: a technique that allows the exploration of physiological processes such as blood perfusion, glomerular filtration, reabsorption of substances directly in the anesthetized living animal. It can be applied to different organs; it is currently used in our laboratory for the kidney and peritoneal membrane.

• Physiological characterization of renal functions: this uses a number of protocols adapted to rodents for the study of glomerular filtration in vivo, of the major stimuli for the study of the transport of sodium, chlorine, magnesium, bicarbonate and potassium.

Latest publications with first, last, and/or corresponding author

2023

1.     Suzumoto Y, Zucaro L, Iervolino A, Capasso G. Kidney and blood pressure regulation-latest evidence for molecular mechanisms. Clin Kidney J. 2023 Jan 24;16(6):952-964. doi: 10.1093/ckj/sfad015. 

2.     Capolongo G, Damiano S, Suzumoto Y, Zacchia M, Rizzo M, Zona E, Pollastro RM, Simeoni M, Ciarcia R, Trepiccione F, Capasso G. Cyclosporin-induced hypertension is associated with the up-regulation of Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC2). Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2024 Jan 31;39(2):297-304. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfad161. 

3.     Zacchia M, Capolongo G, Del Vecchio Blanco F, Secondulfo F, Gupta N, Blasio G, Pollastro RM, Cervesato A, Piluso G, Gigliotti G, Torella A, Nigro V, Perna AF, Capasso G, Trepiccione F. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Analysis Illustrates the Phenotypic Variability of Collagen Type IV Nephropathies. Genes (Basel). 2023 Mar 21;14(3):764. doi: 10.3390/genes14030764. 

4.     Lombari P, Mallardo M, Petrazzuolo O, Amruthraj Nagoth J, Fiume G, Scanni R, Iervolino A, Damiano S, Coppola A, Borriello M, Ingrosso D, Perna AF, Zacchia M, Trepiccione F, Capasso G. miRNA-23a modulates sodium-hydrogen exchanger 1 expression: studies in medullary thick ascending limb of salt-induced hypertensive rats. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2023 Feb 28;38(3):586-598. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfac232.

2024

1.     Borriello G, Buonincontri V, de Donato A, Della Corte M, Gravina I, Iulianiello P, Joshi R, Mone P, Cacciola G, Viggiano D. The interplay between sodium/glucose cotransporter type 2 and mitochondrial ionic environment. Mitochondrion. 2024 May;76:101878. doi: 10.1016/j.mito.2024.101878. 

2.     Zoccali C, Capasso G. Genetic biomarkers of cognitive impairment and dementia of potential interest in CKD patients. J Nephrol. 2024 Dec;37(9):2473-2479. doi: 10.1007/s40620-024-02006-6.

3.     Trepiccione F, Sambri I, Ruggiero B, Emma F, Ballabio A, Florio G, Vanderheyden I, Iervolino A, Jouret F. RRAGD-Associated Autosomal Dominant Kidney Hypomagnesemia with Cardiomyopathy: A Review on the Clinical Manifestations and Therapeutic Options. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2024;49(1):637-645. doi: 10.1159/000539889.

4.     Capolongo G, Damiano S, Suzumoto Y, Zacchia M, Rizzo M, Zona E, Pollastro RM, Simeoni M, Ciarcia R, Trepiccione F, Capasso G. Cyclosporin-induced hypertension is associated with the up-regulation of Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC2). Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2024 Jan 31;39(2):297-304. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfad161.

5.     Caprio F, Orefice G, Secondulfo F, Carone Fabiani F, Iervolino A, Capasso G, Simeoni M, Zacchia M, Trepiccione F, Capolongo G. Renal Cystinuria and Immune Cells (T Lymphocytes) Dysfunction: What We Know about? Nephron. 2024;148(10):687-692. doi: 10.1159/000538213. 

6.     Sambri I, Trepiccione F. A zebrafish model to study RRAGD variants associated cardiomyopathy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2024 Dec 1;327(6):H1343-H1344. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00695.2024.

2025

1.     Capasso, G., Franssen, C.F.M., Perna, A.F. et al. Drivers and mechanisms of cognitive decline in chronic kidney disease. Nat Rev Nephrol 21, 536–552 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-025-00963-0

2.     Simeoni M, Mulholland MM, Workeneh BT, Capasso A, Hafez G, Liabeuf S, Malyszko J, Mani LY, Trevisani F, De A, Wagner CA, Massy ZA, Unwin R, Capasso G; CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target) collaborators. Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and kidney dysfunction. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2025 Mar 13;40(Supplement_2):ii54-ii63. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae249.

3.     Capasso G, Unwin RJ; CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target) collaborators. CONNECT: what has been done and what needs to be done. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2025 Mar 13;40(Supplement_2):ii1-ii3. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae248.

4.     Zoccali C, Mallamaci F, Wagner CA, Unwin R, Nedergaard M, Hafez G, Malyszko J, Pepin M, Massy Z, Paolisso G, Remuzzi G, Capasso GB; CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target) collaborators. Genetic and circulating biomarkers of cognitive dysfunction and dementia in CKD. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2025 Mar 13;40(Supplement_2):ii64-ii75. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfae259. 

5.     Bolignano D, Simeoni M, Hafez G, Pepin M, Gallo A, Altieri M, Liabeuf S, Giannakou K, De A, Capasso G; CONNECT Action (Cognitive Decline in Nephro-Neurology European Cooperative Target) collaborators. Cognitive impairment in CKD patients: a guidance document by the CONNECT network. Clin Kidney J. 2024 Sep 30;18(2):sfae294. doi: 10.1093/ckj/sfae294.

6.     Zacchia M, Secondulfo F, Melluso A, Del Vecchio Blanco F, Di Iorio V, Torella AL, Piluso G, Capolongo G, Trepiccione F, Simonelli F, Nigro V, Perna A, Capasso G. CKD in Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: Evidence Supporting Multifactorial Etiology. Kidney Int Rep. 2024 Nov 6;10(2):375-385. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2024.10.030.

7.     Trepiccione F, Iervolino A. Innovations in Targeting the V2 Receptor. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2025 Feb 1;36(2):163-165. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000000601.

8.     Shams A, Di Donato L, Zucaro L, Iervolino A, Capolongo G, Simeoni M, Suzumoto Y, Capasso G. Tandem Upregulation of Ion Transporters in Thick Ascending Limb of Henle's Loop of Young Milan Hypertensive Strain of Rats. Kidney Blood Press Res. 2025;50(1):97-104. doi: 10.1159/000542827.