Sandeep Gupta, Shunan Li, Joynal Abedin, Kajohnsak Noppakun, Lawrence Wang, Tarundeep Kaur, Behzad Najafian, Cecília M. P. Rodrigues, Clifford J. Steer

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has grave short- and long-term consequences. Often the onset of AKI is predictable, such as following surgery that compromises blood flow to the kidney. Even in such situations, present therapies cannot prevent AKI. As apoptosis is a major form of cell death following AKI, we determined the efficacy and mechanisms of action of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), a molecule with potent anti-apoptotic and pro-survival properties, in prevention of AKI in rat and cell culture models. TUDCA is particularly attractive from a translational standpoint, as it has a proven safety record in animals and humans.