Chronic systemic inflammation, triggered by innate immune system activation, is a key driver of both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. In a Mini Review recently published in AJKD, authors Nowak and Chonchol discuss evidence of the presence of chronic systemic inflammation in CKD, highlighting novel therapeutics that have recently emerged to target CKD-related chronic inflammation in recently completed and ongoing clinical trials.

Inflammatory signaling and potential therapeutic targets in CKD. Sterile inflammation triggered by innate immune system activation is a key driver of both chronic kidney disease and associated atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, in part via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Recent and ongoing clinical trials are testing therapeutics targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome, IL-1 and IL-1R, IL-6 and IL6R, as represented in this schematic. Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; IL1α, interleukin-1α; IL1β, interleukin-1β; IL-1, interleukin-1; IL-1R, interleukin-1 receptor; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL6R, interleukin-6 receptor; NLRP3, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3. Figure 1 from Nowak et al, © National Kidney Foundation.

AJKDBlog’s Interviews Editor, Timothy Yau chatted with Kristen L. Nowak and Michel Chonchol about the complicated interplay between CKD and systemic inflammation, and new targets/pathways that could improve kidney and cardiovascular outcomes.

If the embedded player above doesn’t work, please click here to watch the video interview. Special thanks to Drs. Nowak and Chonchol for their time and insight!

To view this Original Investigation by Nowak et al [free], please visit AJKD.org:

Title: Targeting Inflammation in CKD
Authors: Kristen L. Nowak and Michel Chonchol
DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2025.06.019