Quinolinic acid contributes to maladaptive kidney injury and acute kidney injury-to-chronic kidney disease transition.

Elevated quinolinic acid levels are linked to worsened kidney injury and fibrosis in models of AKI-to-CKD transition.

• Why it matters: Understanding the mechanisms behind the progression from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease is crucial for developing targeted therapies, as this transition remains a major clinical challenge with unclear causes.
• What they did: The study used mouse models of folic acid- and cisplatin-induced AKI, genetic modifications, exogenous QA administration, and clinical kidney biopsies to investigate QA’s role, finding that QA levels increase after injury and influence kidney outcomes.
• The result: Findings suggest QA contributes to kidney injury and fibrosis, with reduced flux toward QA improving outcomes, and higher urinary QA observed in children with CKD, indicating QA as a potential therapeutic target.