Oct. 6, 2003 ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The drug OPC31260 stops the
development of cysts and prevents kidney function loss in rats
and mice, according to a Mayo Clinic and Indiana University
School of Medicine study published in the October 2003 issue of
Nature Medicine. Inherited diseases that cause the kidneys to
develop fluid-filled cavities (cysts) are major causes of kidney
failure in children and in adults. The most common and important
diseases in this category are autosomal dominant polycystic
kidney disease (ADPKD) in adults, and autosomal recessive
polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) and nephronophthisis in
children. Currently, there are no effective treatments for these
disorders. Previous studies conducted at the University of
Kansas and other polycystic kidney disease research centers
showed that a chemical compound known as cyclic AMP is largely
responsible for the cell proliferation and fluid secretion that
are central to the development of kidney cysts. The drug studied
by Mayo Clinic and Indiana Unive