Review of Chronic Kidney Disease and Comparison between Humans, Dogs, and Cats

Project by Polygence alum Layla

Review of Chronic Kidney Disease and Comparison between Humans, Dogs, and Cats

Project's result

My research project was successfully published and has been downloaded by other researchers for their own research and information.

They started it from zero. Are you ready to level up with us?

Summary

The kidney is the body’s filter and when it is damaged, the body no longer functions the way it should. When enough damage has occurred to the kidney, the kidneys will slowly start to fail resulting in chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is no cure for CKD and it gets progressively worse over time. CKD affects a wide variety of animal species, including humans, dogs, and cats. We will be comparing CKD prevalence, symptoms, risk factors, and treatment modalities. There are many similarities in disease diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment between the species. There are also key differences in each species' physiology that result in different diagnostic and monitoring parameters as well as differences in the treatment options available. We compare CKD treatment options that include kidney transplantation, dialysis, hypertension, and nutrition. As part of the One Health movement, understanding these similarities and differences will help us better understand the disease process and hopefully improve treatment outcomes across species.

Celeste

Celeste

Polygence mentor

DVM Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Subjects

Biology, Medicine, Computer Science

Expertise

biology, microbiology, physiology, medicine, python

Layla

Layla

Student

Hello, my name is Layla Hahn and I had the wonderful opportunity to work under the mentorship of Celeste Callaband to produce this collaborative research project. The subject matter was influenced by my grandfather's condition which was discovered when he was hospitalized after a heart attack. After two months in the hospital, he was told that his diabetes and heart failure scarred his kidneys so much that he needed dialysis for the rest of his life. This experience coupled with having a dog with special needs inspired me to investigate and learn about the effects on both humans and domestic animals. I hope you enjoy it!

School

Corona Del Mar High School

Graduation Year

2025

Project review

“My experience with the Polygence Project pushed me to the next level. I learned the value of research through this experience as well as the extent of time investment it takes to accomplish this goal. I never would have thought that I would be able to have published research while in high school. I am thankful to have been matched with a mentor who supported me to get through the challenges and motivated me to keep advancing my research to be better than I had expected.”

About my mentor

“I had access to a great advisor who walked me through the entire process. She let me do the research and she helped me identify areas where I could do more research and supported me with contributing ideas as well as thought processes to advance my research to a higher level. It was a great learning opportunity to work with an experienced researcher in the field that complemented my chosen topic for research.”