On Tuesday 5 May at 13.00, Camilla Grønkjær Hoff defends her PhD dissertation entitled “Investigation of the cellular mechanisms in Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus”.

Lithium is widely used drug for bipolar disorder. However, lithium treatment can also cause NDI, where the kidney loses its ability to concentrate urine, leading to excessive urination and thirst. The underlying cellular and molecular changes are not fully understood, and it remains unclear to what extent the cellular changes observed in animal models are also present in patients.

In this PhD thesis, Camilla G. Hoff investigated how lithium affects kidney cells involved in water reabsorption. The study focused on kidney tissue and urine as a non-invasive alternative to explore whether it can reflect changes in the kidney. A protocol for single-cell sequencing was also established to enable future studies of cell-type–specific changes and the potential role of renal progenitor cells.

In lithium treated rats, protein analyses identified potential urinary markers of kidney changes; Histone H4 involved in cell division and Keratin 8 involved in maintenance of cellular structure. 

In patients receiving lithium treatment, a smaller set of urinary proteins was altered. These proteins are associated with biological processes such as vesicle transport, cyst formation, and immune signaling. Further studies are needed to determine whether these changes reflect changes in the human kidney. 

The summary is written by the PhD student.

The defence is public and takes place at Aarhus University, Jeppe Vontilius Auditorium (1252-310). Please see the press release for more information. 

Contact

PhD student Camilla Grønkjær Hoff
Mail: cgj@biomed.au.dk
Phone: +45 28913018

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