About Us

Ace Therapeutics: Your Partner in Preclinical Kidney Disease Research

At Ace Therapeutics, we are dedicated to accelerating breakthroughs in kidney disease therapeutics through innovative preclinical research solutions. With a team of seasoned scientists and state-of-the-art technologies, we deliver tailored in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate drug efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action.

Our mission is to empower biotech, pharma, and nutraceutical industries with reliable data and actionable insights, reducing risks and shortening timelines in drug development.

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Understanding Kidney Diseases

Kidney disease, also known as renal disease, occurs when the kidneys are damaged and lose their ability to effectively filter waste from the blood. This can lead to a buildup of harmful substances in the body.

Therapeutic Areas of Kidney Diseases

Ace Therapeutics specializes in comprehensive preclinical contract research services for kidney diseases.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Acute Kidney Injury

Polycystic Kidney Disease

Kidney Stones

Diabetic Kidney Disease

Kidney Failure

Glomerulonephritis

Genetic Kidney Diseases

In Vivo Models for Kidney Disease Research

Our comprehensive in vivo platform offers valuable insights into the efficacy and safety of your therapeutic agents in preclinical settings. We provide a range of validated rodent models for various kidney diseases, allowing for thorough characterization of kidney function through biochemical, molecular, and physiological assessments.

Chronic Kidney Disease Acute Kidney Injury Diabetic Kidney Disease Polycystic Kidney Disease Immune-Mediated Nephropathies Hypertensive Nephropathy Models Genetic Kidney Diseases

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Models

  • Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) fibrosis model
  • Adenine diet-induced tubulointerstitial injury
  • 5/6 nephrectomy (remnant kidney) progression model
  • Spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) with renal impairment
  • Fibrosis regression analysis (α-SMA, collagen I/III qPCR/IHC)
  • Longitudinal GFR monitoring (transcutaneous FITC-sinistrin)
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Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Models

  • Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) ± uninephrectomy
  • Cisplatin/gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity
  • Sepsis-associated AKI (LPS/CLP models)
  • Pyelonephritis (E. coli/Pseudomonas ureteral infusion)
  • Real-time oxidative stress monitoring (IVIS-luciferase reporters)
  • Neutrophil infiltration quantification (MPO activity/Ly6G IHC)
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Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) Models

  • Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperfiltration-to-fibrosis transition
  • db/db mice + ReninAAV/UNx acceleration
  • ZSF1 obese rat metabolic nephropathy
  • Podocyte foot process morphometry (electron microscopy)
  • AGE-RAGE pathway modulation studies (sRAGE ELISA/Western blot)
  • Glomerular basement membrane thickening analysis (EM collagen IV)
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Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Models

  • Pkd1flox/flox conditional knockout mice
  • Han:SPRD rat autosomal dominant PKD
  • Cyst volume quantification (3D ultrasound/micro-CT imaging)
  • cAMP/MAPK pathway inhibition screening
  • Epithelial cystogenesis assays (3D Matrigel cultures)
  • Secondary cilium dysfunction evaluation (acetylated α-tubulin IHC)
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Immune-Mediated Nephropathies Models

  • Anti-GBM glomerulonephritis (NTN model)
  • Lupus nephritis (NZB/W F1, MRL/lpr mice)
  • IgA nephropathy (ddY mice/gd-IgA1 challenges)
  • Immune complex deposition analysis (IgG/C3 immunofluorescence)
  • Treg/Th17 balance profiling (flow cytometry/cytokine multiplex)
  • Complement activation assays (C3a/C5a ELISA, MAC deposition)
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Hypertensive Nephropathy Models

  • DOCA-salt hypertensive renal damage
  • Angiotensin II infusion models
  • Dahl salt-sensitive rat hypertension
  • Renal arteriolar remodeling analysis (α-SMA/vWF dual IHC)
  • Pressure natriuresis curve characterization (telemetric BP + urine Na+)
  • RAAS axis modulation studies (renin/aldosterone LC-MS/MS)
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Genetic Kidney Disease Models

  • Alport syndrome (Col4a3/4/5 KO mice)
  • FSGS (Nphs1/Nphs2 knockout models)
  • Fabry disease (Gla KO mice)
  • Podocyte-specific gene rescue efficacy (Cre-loxP AAV delivery)
  • Lysosomal storage quantification (electron microscopy/Gb3 ELISA)
  • Slit diaphragm ultrastructure analysis (super-resolution microscopy)
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*Note: Ace Therapeutics does not commercialize live animals or ship models externally, studies are conducted exclusively in-house under BSL-2 protocols.

Can't Find Your Model? We Offer Tailored Solutions!

Our team pioneers context-specific models that mirror human nephropathies - from tubular stress to glomerular dysfunction. Whether refining existing protocols or engineering novel systems (CRISPR/Cas9, humanized mice), we bridge your target biology to mechanistically validated outcomes.

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In Vitro Models for Kidney Disease Research

Ace Therapeutics provides a robust platform of in vitro models to investigate kidney diseases at the cellular and molecular level. These models enable efficient screening of drug candidates and detailed exploration of their mechanisms of action.

Cell-Based Disease Modeling

  • Functional primary renal cells (podocytes, mesangial, tubular epithelia) modeling filtration and transport.
  • Genetic nephropathy models.
  • iPSC-derived organoids with vascularized nephron structures.
  • Diabetic (AGE/high glucose) and IgA nephropathy (gd-IgA1).

Senescence & Aging Profiling

  • SA-β-galactosidase quantification with hypoxia/oxidative stress induction.
  • Senolytic drug screening via p16/p21 pathway modulation (qPCR/Western blot).
  • Telomere length analysis (Flow-FISH) in CKD-mimicking microenvironments.
  • SASP factor multiplex analysis (IL-6, MMP-3, PAI-1).

Fibrosis Mechanism Analysis

  • TGF-β/Smad3 pathway activation in renal fibroblasts (α-SMA, collagen I/III).
  • ECM deposition quantification (hydroxyproline/Sirius Red assays).
  • Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) tracking (E-cadherin/vimentin dual staining).
  • miRNA/siRNA screening for antifibrotic target discovery.

Inflammatory Pathway Interrogation

  • NLRP3 inflammasome activation models (ATP/nigericin priming).
  • Chemotaxis assays for monocyte/macrophage recruitment.
  • Cytokine storm simulation (TNF-α/IL-1β/IFN-γ cocktails).
  • NF-κB/MAPK pathway inhibition profiling (phospho-protein arrays).

Nephrotoxicity Screening

  • Dual cytotoxicity/apoptosis panels (LDH, caspase-3/7, Annexin V).
  • Transporter-mediated toxicity (OAT1/OCT2 inhibition + substrate accumulation).
  • Mitochondrial stress profiling (Seahorse XF analyzers).
  • Crystallopathy risk assessment (calcium oxalate/phosphate precipitation).

Disease Microenvironment Engineering

  • Hypoxic chambers (1% O2) for ischemic injury modeling.
  • Shear stress systems for glomerular endothelial mechanobiology.
  • ECM hydrogel scaffolds (collagen/fibronectin gradients).
  • Hyperglycemic + uremic toxin combinations (CML, indoxyl sulfate).

High-Content Phenotypic Analysis

  • Live-cell imaging of tight junction dynamics (ZO-1/occludin).
  • Multi-parametric cytotoxicity (ROS, Ca2+ flux, membrane potential).
  • Ion transporter activity (Fluo-4/SBFI fluorimetry).
  • AI-driven podocyte foot process morphometry.

Modular Co-Culture Platforms

  • Glomerular tri-cultures (podocyte-mesangial-endothelial crosstalk).
  • Tubulointerstitial models (epithelial-fibroblast-macrophage interplay).
  • 3D microfluidic kidney-on-chip with vascular perfusion.
  • Immune cell recruitment assays (T cell infiltration into renal epithelia).

Kidney Disease Biomarker Analysis Services

Biomarkers are essential tools for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of kidney diseases, as well as for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of therapeutic interventions. Ace Therapeutics offers a comprehensive bioanalysis platform for assessing a wide range of kidney disease biomarkers, including:

Biomarker Category Specific Biomarkers Key Applications
Renal Function Markers Serum creatinine, Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cystatin C - GFR estimation
- Early CKD staging
- Drug nephrotoxicity monitoring
Markers of Kidney Damage Albuminuria, Proteinuria, KIM-1, NGAL - AKI detection
- Glomerular/tubular injury assessment
- Therapeutic efficacy tracking
Inflammatory Markers IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, CXCL10 - Immune-mediated nephritis profiling
- Inflammatory flare monitoring
- Biomarker-guided immunosuppression
Fibrosis Markers TGF-β, Collagen IV, Fibronectin, α-SMA - Fibrosis progression scoring
- Anti-fibrotic drug validation
- CKD prognosis
Emerging & Novel Biomarkers uromodulin, suPAR, FGF-23, Urinary exosomal miRNAs - Precision subtyping of nephropathies
- Predictive biomarker discovery
- Rare kidney disease diagnostics
Custom Biomarker Assays Client-specified targets (novel proteins, metabolites) - Mechanistic MoA studies
- First-in-class therapeutic development
- Companion diagnostic development

Kidney Disease Drug Development Solutions

Ace Therapeutics offers comprehensive and tailored solutions to support your kidney disease drug development program from early discovery to preclinical proof-of-concept.

Target Identification & Validation In Vitro & In Vivo Efficacy Studies Mechanism of Action (MoA) Studies Nephrotoxicity Assessments PK/PD Studies Biomarker Analysis Histopathology & Imaging Services Drug-Type Specific Development Services

Target Identification & Validation

  • Genomic and proteomic profiling of renal disease targets using custom models.
  • CRISPR/Cas9-based functional screening for novel nephropathy-associated pathways.
  • In vitro validation using primary podocyte cultures and tubular epithelial injury models.
  • Cross-species target conservation analysis (rodent, primate, human renal tissues).
  • Bioinformatics-driven prioritization of druggable targets (AI-based polypharmacology mapping).

In Vitro & In Vivo Efficacy Studies

  • High-content renal organoid models for fibrosis, inflammation, and electrolyte imbalance.
  • Disease-specific rodent models (e.g., unilateral ureteral obstruction, adenine-induced CKD, diabetic nephropathy).
  • Functional assessments: glomerular filtration rate (GFR), proteinuria, electrolyte excretion.
  • Podocyte injury and regeneration assays (nephrin expression, cytoskeletal remodeling).
  • Tubulointerstitial fibrosis quantification (α-SMA, collagen deposition).

Mechanism of Action (MoA) Studies

  • Single-cell RNA sequencing for cell-type-specific pathway modulation analysis.
  • Spatial transcriptomics in kidney sections to map drug effects across nephron segments.
  • In vivo target engagement validation (renal tissue PET imaging, NanoBRET).
  • Epigenetic regulation profiling (ChIP-seq for histone modifications in CKD models).
  • Multi-omics integration (transcriptome, proteome, metabolome) for holistic MoA elucidation.

Nephrotoxicity Assessments

  • Proximal tubule toxicity screening (HK-2 cells, biomarkers: KIM-1, NGAL).
  • Glomerular endothelial barrier integrity assays (permeability, VEGF signaling).
  • In vivo renal safety panels (serum creatinine, BUN, urinary biomarkers).
  • Chronic toxicity models for fibrosis and tubular atrophy (repeat-dose studies).
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress profiling in renal cells.

PK/PD Studies

  • Renal clearance and tubular secretion/excretion profiling (organic ion transporter assays).
  • Corticomedullary drug distribution analysis via microdialysis.
  • Disease-state PK modeling (e.g., adjusted for reduced GFR in CKD).
  • PD biomarker correlation with renal function endpoints (e.g., uACR reduction).
  • Pediatric nephrology PK extrapolation (allometric scaling, PBPK modeling).

Biomarker Analysis

  • Urinary exosome isolation for miRNA/protein biomarker discovery.
  • Multiplex immunoassays for CKD progression markers (TGF-β, FGF-23, suPAR).
  • Digital pathology-based quantification of renal fibrosis biomarkers.
  • Liquid biopsy platforms for early acute kidney injury (AKI) detection.
  • Predictive biomarker panels for drug-induced nephrotoxicity.

Histopathology & Imaging Services

  • AI-driven glomerulosclerosis scoring (PAS, Masson’s trichrome stains).
  • Multiphoton microscopy for real-time glomerular hemodynamics.
  • Correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) for subcellular structural changes.
  • In vivo renal MRI/PET imaging (fibrosis, hypoxia, inflammation tracking).
  • Spatially resolved metabolomics (MALDI-IMS in kidney tissue sections).

Drug-Type Specific Development Services

Precision solutions for renal-targeted therapeutics across modalities.

Small Molecules

  • Renal transporter inhibition profiling (OAT1/3, OCT2, MATEs).
  • Tubule-specific prodrug activation strategies.
  • Crystal nephropathy risk assessment (solubility, urinary precipitation assays).

Biologics

  • Antibody renal retention engineering (FcRn binding modulation).
  • Podocyte-targeted bispecifics (nephrin/desmin dual engagement).
  • Complement inhibitor validation (C3/C5, factor B/D assays).

RNA Therapies

  • siRNA/mRNA lipid nanoparticle targeting to proximal tubules.
  • Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) efficacy in polycystic kidney disease models.
  • miRNA mimics/inhibitors for fibrosis regression.

Gene & Cell Therapies

  • AAV-mediated gene delivery to renal parenchyma (tropism-optimized capsids).
  • CRISPR editing in inherited renal disorders (PKD1, COL4A targets).
  • Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for AKI/CKD (homing, engraftment validation).

Peptide-Based Agents

  • Renalase-mimetic peptides for hypertension-linked nephropathy.
  • Protease-resistant natriuretic peptide analogs.
  • Targeted drug conjugates for tubular receptor-mediated uptake.

Why Choose Ace Therapeutics?

Deep Expertise in Kidney Disease

  • Comprehensive Nephrology Focus: Coverage of CKD, DKD, and AKI using both traditional rodent models and cutting-edge organ-on-chip systems.
  • Scientific Leadership: Our team combines pharmacology, molecular biology, and bioengineering to interrogate key pathways such as TGF-β, RAS, and inflammation.

Advanced Renal Research Platforms

  • Real-Time GFR Assessment: Non-invasive, transdermal FITC-sinistrin monitoring for precise, longitudinal measurement of glomerular.
  • Integrated Imaging & Histology: AI-driven 3D organ reconstruction and quantitative fibrosis/glomerulosclerosis scoring to capture subtle treatment effects.
  • Microphysiological Systems: Kidney-on-a-chip platforms with controlled perfusion and shear stress for highly predictive in vitro efficacy and toxicity screening.

Tailored Nephrology Solutions

  • Custom Model Development: From UUO and IRI to STZ-induced DKD and 5/6 nephrectomy, we build or adapt models to align with your mechanism of action.
  • Adaptive Workflows: Mid-study protocol adjustments informed by emerging data, keeping projects on target without compromising timelines.
  • End-to-End Services: Seamless integration of in vitro screening, DMPK/ADME, PK/PD modeling, and biomarker analytics.

Efficiency & Collaborative Partnership

  • Rapid Study Initiation: Parallel assay deployment and streamlined SOPs accelerate data generation and milestone achievement.
  • Transparent Costing: Modular pricing models focus budget on critical endpoints, eliminating hidden fees and maximizing ROI.
  • Dedicated Support: A single-point project manager, regular data reviews, and direct access to our scientific experts ensure clear communication and alignment with your goals.

FAQs About Our Preclinical Kidney Research Services

What types of kidney diseases do you specialize in?

We specialize in a wide range of kidney diseases, including CKD, AKI, DKD, glomerulonephritis, and more. Our model portfolio covers various etiologies and stages of these diseases.

Can you customize in vivo models to fit our specific research needs?

Yes, we have the expertise to develop customized in vivo models based on your specific requirements. Please contact us to discuss your project.

What kind of data analysis and reporting do you provide?

We provide comprehensive data analysis and detailed reports that include methodology, results, statistical analysis, and interpretation of findings.

What is the typical turnaround time for a study?

The turnaround time varies depending on the complexity and duration of the study. We will provide you with a detailed timeline during the project planning phase.

How do you ensure the quality of your research?

We adhere to strict quality control procedures and best practices in preclinical research to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our data.

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