GN in Ten

It’s the "New England Journal of IgA" these days, and we’re just living in it! In this special NephMadness edition of GN in Ten, hosts Dr. Kenar Jhaveri and Dr. Koyal Jain are joined by NephMadness co-creator Dr. Matt Sparks and Duke Fellow Dr. Ale Tomasi to break down the heavy hitters in the IgA Nephropathy bracket. Matt’s dog also joins us for a special, possibly biased cameo.

We’re moving past "ACE first, think later" and diving into the upstream battle: B-cell modulators (BAFF/APRIL inhibitors) versus Complement inhibitors. Whether you’re team "Hit Zero"...

In this episode, hosts Dr. Kenar Jhaveri and Dr. Koyal Jain are joined by Dr. Matt Sparks (co-creator of NephMadness) and Dr. Aarushi Varshney to discuss the evolving landscape of C3 Glomerulopathy (C3G). The conversation highlights the shift from traditional electron microscopy-based classifications to modern immunofluorescence-based diagnosis, as well as the groundbreaking arrival of two new FDA-approved targeted therapies.

The NephMadness Matchup

This episode focuses on the C3G bracket pitting two critical aspects of C3G against each other:

In this episode of GN in Ten, hosts Dr. Kenar Jhaveri and Dr. Koyal Jain break down the essential "must-knows" for ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Geared toward board preparation and clinical practice, this bite-sized session covers everything from the initial diagnosis and the role of kidney biopsy to the latest advancements in induction and maintenance therapy.

Key Discussion Points

In this episode of GN in Ten, hosted by Dr. Kenar Jhaveri and Dr. Koyal Jain, takes a deep dive into the specialized world of pediatric glomerular disease. Joining the show are world-renowned pediatric nephrologists Dr. Louise Oni (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London) and Dr. Jun Oh (University of Hamburg, Germany) to discuss the "pediatric lag" in drug development and the massive global efforts currently underway to bring targeted therapies to children.

Key Highlights

In this Board Review Bonus episode of GN in Ten, hosts Dr. Kenar Jhaveri (Northwell Health/Hofstra University) and Dr. Koyal Jain (UNC Chapel Hill) dive into the crucial topic of Lupus Nephritis. Special guest, Northwell fellow Dr. Mahmoud Abdelaziz, asks Kenar and Koyal the tough questions about key topics in diagnosing and managing LN.

Tune in to learn about diagnosis and initial suspicion of kidney involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the six histological classifications (Class I-VI) of lupus nephritis, and an overview of induction and maintenance treatment algorithms for Class III and IV (proliferative) and...

In this episode, world-renowned complement expert Carla Nester (University of Iowa) joins Koyal and Kenar to discuss the state of the art in C3 glomerulopathy and other complement-mediated kidney diseases, the opportunities and unknowns of targeted treatments, the recent advances in understanding of all things complement, and how her med/peds specialization brings additional superpowers to her clinical practice.

Dr. Nester is an adult and pediatric nephrologist, currently serving as Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine in the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, where she also directs or co-directs the Molecular Otolaryngology and...

In this special NephMadness 2025 episode, Koyal and Kenar do a deep dive into the Genetics region with NephMadness executive team member Elena Cervantes (Johns Hopkins), genetics expert Jordan Nestor (Columbia) and region writer Matt Gross (Johns Hopkins). Genetics in FSGS faces off vs. Genetic Counseling! What’s new in our ever-expanding knowledge of FSGS genetics? Where does APOL1 fit in? How should we be counseling patients before and after genetic testing, and are we actually getting the training we need to do so? And the big question: Which topic will change practice the most in the next five years? Tu...

In this special bonus episode of the podcast, Koyal and Kenar provide a maximally useful review of minimal change disease, from diagnosis (including secondary causes to screen for) to treatment options, including how to decide which patients may do better with which therapies. 

Can’t get enough minimal change? Check out Episode 6 (with Astrid Weins) and Episode 7 (with Felicitas Hengel and Nicola Tomas) for more on the potential role of anti-nephrin autoantibodies in MCD.

References

KDIGO guidelines: https://kdigo.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/KDIGO-GD-Guideline-Key-Takeaways-for-Clinicians-Minimal-Change-Disease.pdf

Ant...

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Koyal and Kenar recap everything you need to know about IgAN for the board exam (or just to refresh yourself on the current state of knowledge) — from pathophysiology to treatment decisions. They also discover that nobody is really sure how to pronounce Peyer’s patches (hey, don’t blame us, they’re all the way over in the ileum) so make sure you read the show notes to settle that mystery and check out additional resources!

Board Review Bonus #1 - IgA Nephropathy

Online calc...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Felicitas Hengel, MD and Dr. Nicola Tomas, MD (both at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) about their groundbreaking anti-nephrin autoantibody research that was just presented at the 2024 ERA Congress and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Is this a game-changer for minimal change? How could this new understanding change diagnosis and treatment in the future? Are anti-nephrin autoantibodies the next PLA2R? What are the next steps for follow-up studies? And how do you do a big international study like this, anyway? 

References:

The s...

In this episode, Kenar and Koyal interview Dr. Astrid Weins, MD, PhD, about nephropathology, new approaches to solving the mysteries of nephrotic syndrome, and her research on anti-nephrin antibodies in minimal change disease. Dr. Weins is Chief of Integrated Renal Pathology at Mass General/Brigham and an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard.

Interested in this topic? Stay tuned for additional new research on anti-nephrin antibodies that will be presented in a Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session on May 25 at the 2024 ERA Congress.

References:

In this episode, Kenar and Koyal talk with Dr. Jula Inrig about endothelin physiology and different approaches to endothelin antagonism, trials of sparsentan in IgAN and FSGS, the art and science of clinical trial design, career paths in clinical research outside academia, and how we got to our current era of plentiful nephrology clinical trials.

Disclosure: Jula Inrig is the Chief Medical Officer of Travere Therapeutics, which is one of multiple corporate partners that provide financial support to ISGD. Dr. Inrig also serves independently on the ISGD Steering Committee as a representative of industry...

It's March, and that means it's time for NephMadness! Every year, our friends at AJKDBlog pit 16 unique regions of nephrology against each other in a basketball-style tournament. Prepare for the Preeclampsia region by listening to this special episode, where Anna Burgner from Vanderbilt University joins Kenar and Koyal to discuss recent discoveries in preeclampsia (the world's most common glomerulopathy). 

Will the victor be Diagnosis and Treatment of Preeclampsia, or Risk Factors, Prevention, and Long-Term Sequelae in Preeclampsia? Learn more at ajkdblog.org and submit your picks at nephmadness.com by March 31!

References:

We talk with Dr. Opeyemi Olabisi, MD, PhD, about the history and future of APOL1-mediated FSGS, the role of clinical researchers in building trust with patients, his innovative CARE and JUSTICE programs to bring kidney health screenings and research opportunities to the underrepresented African American community, and why his expertise as an MD/PhD in molecular biology led him to also become a leader in community engagement. The JAK-STAT pathway gets some love as well!

Dr. Olabisi's research and publications: https://medicine.duke.edu/profile/opeyemi-olabisi
More information on the CARE and JUSTICE studies: https...

In this episode of GN in Ten, Koyal and Kenar take the show on the road to Kidney Week to ask attendees about their favorite glomerular diseases. Listen closely for a surprise Shakespearean crossover!

International Society of Glomerular Disease President Prof. Dr. Tobias B. Huber of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf discusses the mission of the society and his vision for the future of glomerular disease. 

Creators & Guests

Welcome to GN in Ten from the International Society of Glomerular Disease! In this trailer, our hosts Dr. Kenar Jhaveri and Dr. Koyal Jain introduce themselves and the podcast.

Learn more about the International Society of Glomerular Disease (ISGD) at is-gd.org.