ISN Webinar: First Consensus Guidance for Pre-Clinical Animal Studies in Translational Nephrology (TRANSFORM)

Pre-clinical tests in animal models are key steps in early drug development. The International Society of Nephrology held a consensus meeting that connected experts in the global kidney community to produce guidance on the optimal conduct of translational animal studies in the development of new therapies for treating kidney disease: “TRANSFORM; TRAnslational Nephrology Science For new Medications.” This is the first guidance on the optimal conduct of translational animal studies for the development of new drugs to treat kidney disease. The TRANSFORM recommendations will accelerate development of new treatments for kidney diseases to improve prognosis and quality of life of people with kidney disease.

Learning objectives: 

1. Outline the challenges in translating pre-clinical work into effective new therapies for human kidney disease.
2. Identify key characteristics of late-stage pre-clinical studies that maximize the chance of translation of new potential therapies to human kidney disease.
3. Recognize key practical features of high-quality pre-clinical studies in terms of choice and number of animals, the use of controls and the evaluation of endpoints.
4. Understand the importance of effective planning and reporting of pre-clinical studies in pre-clinical translational studies for new therapeutics targeting kidney diseases.

Further reading: 

• The TRANSFORM meeting report
• ARRIVE Guidelines
• Infographics of the summary of all the recommendations for preclinical animal studies in translational nephrology