Research Updates
How Multiomics Is Transforming Our Understanding of Kidney Development
Why this matters
Congenital kidney anomalies are responsible for more than half of all chronic kidney disease cases in children, yet for over 80% of affected patients, the underlying genetic cause remains unknown. Current diagnostic tools, such as prenatal ultrasound, can detect anomalies early but rarely predict how the disease will progress or how best to intervene.
This is where multiomics comes in.
What is multiomics?
Rather than studying one biological layer at a time, multiomics combines multiple data types — including DNA accessibility, gene expression (RNA), proteins, and metabolites — to build a far more complete picture of what happens inside developing kidney cells. Think of it as moving from a single photograph to a full 3D film of kidney development.
By integrating these different molecular layers, researchers can now trace how healthy kidneys form step by step, identify exactly where things go wrong in congenital anomalies, and — crucially — pinpoint potential targets for future treatments.
Key findings from the review
The paper presents three landmark examples of how multiomics is already advancing the field:
Mapping the Human Nephrogenesis Atlas — By combining single-cell RNA sequencing with 3D protein imaging, researchers have created the most detailed map to date of how nephrons (the kidney's functional units) form during human development. This atlas serves as the benchmark for understanding normal kidney development and identifying what goes wrong in congenital anomalies.
Human vs. mouse kidney development — Comparing human and mouse kidney data revealed that while many molecular programs are shared across species, a striking 61% of the regulatory "switches" controlling gene activity are unique to humans. This finding underscores why studying human tissue directly is so important for developing treatments that actually work for children.
Developmental programs reactivated during injury — Perhaps most intriguingly, the review shows how molecular programs normally active only during fetal kidney development can be briefly "switched back on" when kidneys are injured later in life. Understanding these reactivation patterns could open new therapeutic windows for treating kidney disease.
The road ahead
The authors outline an ambitious vision for the future: integrated molecular atlases spanning from fetal development through to postnatal life, combined with AI-driven analysis and organoid models that faithfully replicate human kidney development. Together, these tools hold the promise of precision diagnostics, better prognostication, and ultimately genotype-informed therapies for children born with kidney anomalies.
As the paper concludes: if multiomics can deliver on its promise, it will fundamentally transform how we diagnose, stratify, and treat patients with congenital kidney diseases — ensuring that scientific discovery translates into real improvements for the children and families who need it most.
About the publication
The review, titled "Dissecting Normal and Abnormal Human Kidney Development Using Multiomics," was authored by Luna S. Klomp, Lampros Mavrommatis, Fanny O. Arcolino, Hildo C. Lantermans, Elena Levtchenko, Christoph Kuppe, and Rik Westland. It was published online ahead of print on November 10, 2025, in JASN.
Rik Westland, Moonshot 1 leader within the Kidnie Research Consortium, co-led this study together with Christoph Kuppe from RWTH Aachen University. Co-authors Elena Levtchenko and Fanny Oliveira Arcolino are also members of the Kidnie consortium.
The research was supported in part by the Dutch Kidney Foundation (Nierstichting), the European Research Council, and the German Research Foundation.
This research directly supports Kidnie's Moonshot 1 (Cure): working towards early interventions to prevent and cure kidney disease and damage. By unraveling the molecular blueprint of kidney development, we move closer to a future where congenital kidney diseases can be detected earlier, understood more deeply, and treated more precisely.
