Marisa Wexler, MS,  —

The eye condition keratoconus — when the cornea thins out and bulges like a cone — can occur in people with Alport syndrome, according to a new case report. Therefore, the condition should be considered when assessing the eye health of these patients, researchers say. Their report, titled “Keratoconus…

A thorough eye examination can help to diagnose Alport syndrome even in the absence of obvious kidney symptoms, a case report suggests. “Alport syndrome with bilateral simultaneous anterior and posterior lenticonus with severe temporal macular thinning” was published in the journal BMJ Case Reports. Alport syndrome…

A newly developed model of kidney filtration may help researchers better understand kidney diseases such as Alport syndrome and could also be useful for drug screening efforts, a study suggests. The study,  “A glomerulus-on-a-chip to recapitulate the human glomerular filtration barrier,” was recently published…

An angiotensin receptor blocker approved to treat high blood pressure, called Benicar (olmesartan), may ease kidney scarring in Alport syndrome by altering levels of the signaling molecule transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), a study in mice reports. The study “Olmesartan Attenuates Kidney Fibrosis in a Murine…

A microRNA — a small RNA molecule that helps regulate how other genes are expressed — is present at high levels in the kidneys of people with Alport syndrome. Experiments in mice further suggest that this microRNA could be a therapeutic target for treatment of the disease. The study, “…