Real chance at a cure
We want every child with kidney disease to receive better, child-friendly treatments and a real chance at a cure.
A 25% cure rate
In 10 years, we aim for 25% of children with kidney disease to be cured, and for all children to enjoy a better quality of life. The Kidnie Research Consortium strives to be a globally recognized research collaboration in pediatric nephrology, built on a shared research agenda.
Join forces
Kidnie joins forces with doctors, researchers, patients, and families to focus on the most urgent research areas. We attract and train talented researchers, build shared infrastructure for funding, research, and knowledge sharing, and prioritize activities across our four Moonshots. Using a reverse-engineering approach, we work backward from our goals to plan research, secure co-funding, and scale up studies efficiently. Collaboration, synergy, and patient involvement guide every step toward making cures a reality.
Explanation Governance structure Kidnie Research Consortium
Kidnie is guided by a clear and collaborative governance structure to ensure research is effective and patient-focused.
The Steering Committee (SC) sets the strategic direction and monitors the progress of the four Moonshots, with one representative from each pediatric nephrology center. The Executive Board (EB) manages day-to-day implementation, coordinating research projects, shared infrastructure, and the Kidnie Office. Each Moonshot has a representative responsible for scientific progress.
Advisory bodies support decision-making. The Member Council connects members and promotes Kidnie externally. The Stakeholder Advisory Council includes patient organizations, funders, and industry partners. The Patient Panel and Patient Advisory Board ensure children and families guide research priorities. The Scientific Advisory Board provides independent international expertise.
This structure enables Kidnie to collaborate effectively, make timely decisions, and focus on research that can truly improve the lives of children with kidney disease.
Long-term Research Agenda
To achieve its mission over the next 10 years, the Kidnie RC follows a long-term research agenda that prioritizes activities across the entire patient journey.
This agenda is structured around four "Moonshots":
By defining the main problems, identifying solutions, and coordinating efforts across all seven pediatric nephrology centers, the Kidnie RC ensures that research is focused, collaborative, and impactful. Shared infrastructure supports every step, from lab studies to clinical trials, enabling the consortium to translate discoveries into treatments that improve and save children’s lives.
By 2035, we aim to cure 25% of children with kidney disease.
Cure
Focuses on making real cures for pediatric kidney diseases a reality. The goal is to intervene early, before kidney damage occurs, and to develop treatments that can prevent or repair disease.
Researchers are exploring two main approaches:
Cell-based therapies, like stem cells, which can repair or regenerate damaged kidneys, support kidney development in premature babies, and modulate the immune system.
Gene, RNA, and small molecule therapies, which aim to correct inherited kidney disorders at the molecular level.
By studying the most impactful pediatric kidney diseases and addressing key challenges — such as safely delivering treatments to the right kidney cells — Kidnie RC is building the foundation for curative therapies.
Through collaboration across all seven Dutch pediatric nephrology centers and shared research infrastructure, this Moonshot is turning scientific breakthroughs into treatments that could one day cure children and transform their lives.
Care
Focuses on making treatment easier and less burdensome for children with chronic kidney disease. Many medications must currently be given by injection or in large pills, often multiple times a day, which can be stressful and hard to manage.
This Moonshot explores better ways to give medicine, including:
Needle-free injections or patches
Smaller tablets or child-friendly formulations
Delayed-release medicines to reduce daily doses
Repurposing existing drugs that already work in adults for safe use in children
This Moonshot also aims to improve monitoring at home, such as validating blood pressure devices for children, so some checks can be done without frequent hospital visits.
By designing treatments that are safer, easier, and more comfortable, this Moonshot aims to help children can take their medicines correctly, live more normal daily lives, and get the best possible care while reducing the burden on families.
Kidney disease treatment must also become more child-friendly. No more excessive medications and painful injections!
If a child does receive a donor kidney, we will ensure it lasts a lifetime — not just 20 years or less.
Transplant Care
Focuses on personalizing transplant care to improve outcomes and quality of life. Researchers aim to:
Optimize immunosuppression by tailoring doses to each child’s immune system, reducing side effects while preventing rejection.
Induce immune tolerance through advanced therapies, such as cell-based treatments or combined stem cell and kidney transplants, helping the body accept the new kidney naturally.
By understanding each child’s unique immune response, Moonshot 3 strives to make transplants safer, more effective, and longer-lasting, giving children a better chance at a healthy life with “one kidney for life.'"
Slowing Disease Progression
Focusses on slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children to prevent long-term kidney failure. CKD can result from congenital conditions, prematurity, low birth weight, kidney injury, or certain hereditary and acquired diseases.
This Moonshot has three key goals:
Early detection: Identify children at risk using biomarkers and improved follow-up programs, ensuring timely interventions.
Optimized treatments: Improve therapies that reduce protein loss and kidney scarring, including careful use of medications already proven in adults, and testing combinations suitable for children.
Understanding disease mechanisms: Study how kidney damage occurs, including from toxic treatments, to develop or repurpose nephroprotective drugs that slow or reverse injury.
By focusing on prevention, better therapies, and understanding the disease, Moonshot 4 aims to preserve kidney function, reduce hospital visits, and improve long-term quality of life for children with CKD.
We aim to detect and cure kidney diseases at the earliest possible stage.
