Since 1998 Kidneeds has funded over $750,000 in research that has helped us learn a great deal about DDD/MPGNII. The first international conference on DDD/MPGNII was held in Boston, MA August 13-14, 2004. The following year, Kidneeds-funded scientists formed the DDD/MPGNII Collaboratory, a virtual center of excellence for DDD/MPGNII research and the only one of its kind in the world. Six internationally recognized scientists have joined the DDD/MPGNII Collaboratory and through this virtual center, they are able to work together towards a cure for this disease despite their geographical distance.

The Second DDD/MPGNII Focus Group Meeting was held August, 2006, as a Hinxton Retreat in Cambridge, England. Hinxton Retreats are invitation-only meetings of exceptionally high quality. The Second DDD/MPGNII Focus Group Meeting was designated a conference of excellence and was sponsored in part by the Wellcome Trust, UK, the NIDDK-NIH, and the Milagros Research Fund.

The Third DDD/MPGNII Focus Group Meeting will be held August 15-17, 2008, again as a Hinxton Retreat. This Focus Group Meeting has also been designated a conference of excellence and is sponsored in part by the Wellcome Trust, UK and the Milagros Research Fund. The aims and objectives of this meeting are: 1) To present advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of DDD as these advances relate to the development of DDD-appropriate therapies; 2) To present data from animal studies as these data relate to the use of a murine model of DDD to rapidly evaluate potential therapies in vivo; 3) To identify, define and address issues that must be considered to begin clinical trials for DDD in the next 1-2 years.

If you are interested in joining the DDD/MPGNII Collaboratory and would like to apply for a Kidneeds grant, please download the application and instructions below. You may direct any questions about the application process to Dr. Richard Smith at richard-smith@uiowa.edu