The Ngal reporter mouse allows for rapid real time assaying of kidney damage by linking expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin with a bioluminescent/fluorescent read-out. The Ngal fusion protein can be visualized in vivo or ex vivo, and has been shown to be induced three times faster than muscle-derived serum creatinine, which is the current clinical marker of kidney function. In mouse models of ischemic, infectious, and nephrotoxic kidney damage, kidney and urinary Ngal protein increased rapidly and dose-dependently. Thus, Ngal protein might be able to detect the earliest stages of renal injury caused by medications or diseases that would otherwise be clinically silent. Additionally, the Ngal mouse could present a more sensitive, cost-effective, and high-throughput method for the identification of novel therapeutics to mitigate kidney damage.
Current methods for measuring serum creatinine require serial sampling of blood and urine, causing significant distress to the mouse. The marker itself is insensitive, as renal function must decrease below 50% for serum creatinine to be at a detectable level. Additionally, mouse models of ischemic kidney damage show that serum creatinine does not rise until 12 hours after the insult. The Ngal reporter mouse allows in vivo, real time bioluminescent/fluorescent imaging of the kidneys at an earlier time-point in disease progression. Furthermore, urinary Ngal secreted from thick ascending limb and collecting duct cells allows for another level of renal function monitoring.
Available for licensing and sponsored research support
Tech Ventures Reference: IR 2172