Biogem, Giovambattista Capasso's research on the cover of Nature Reviews Nephrology

An article on the mechanisms linking chronic kidney disease and cognitive decline, written by Biogem's scientific director , Giovambattista Capasso , has been chosen for the cover of the latest issue of Nature Reviews Nephrology , one of the world's most authoritative scientific journals. The work represents significant international recognition for the Irpinia research center and for a line of research exploring the interactions between the kidney and the brain.

“This is a line of research,” explains Professor Capasso, “that lies at the heart of the international CONNECT 2020-2024 project, essentially coordinated by Biogem, with the aim of studying the mechanisms linking renal function to neurological function.”

"In 2010," he recalls, "it was first understood that the decline in cognitive ability, typical of many patients with chronic kidney disease, tended to progress to Alzheimer's disease in those undergoing dialysis. When I was a member of the board of directors of the European Society of Nephrology, I was intrigued by the prospect of studying the processes through which the kidney influences the brain's cognitive ability."

The CONNECT project ("Cognitive decline in nephro-neurology: European Cooperative Target"), approved in October 2020, brought together over 200 researchers from 28 European countries, as well as the United States and Iran. The program, funded by Horizon 2020 under the patronage of the European Society of Nephrology, involved basic researchers and clinicians in a multidisciplinary approach.

"I was elected coordinator," Capasso reveals, "with Biogem and the Vanvitelli University leading the initiative. Over five years, we've confirmed the kidney's important role in brain cognitive decline, identifying many of the mechanisms and factors involved."

The project's results have been presented in over forty publications and at several international conferences in nephrology, geriatrics, and neurology. "We organized the first international conference dedicated to kidney-brain interactions in Naples, and as a culmination of this journey, we received an invitation from the journal Nature Reviews Nephrology to write a review."

“Once the work was published,” he continues, “we were delighted to discover that the magazine cover was dedicated to our project. But for us, it was just a starting point.”

In the two-year period 2024-2025, Biogem has received two new grants: the first, at the regional level, to identify neurotoxic uremic toxins and develop a testing technology accessible to all laboratories; the second, under Horizon Europe, which Biogem leads and provides for three-year monitoring of patients with chronic kidney disease.

"We will subject them," Capasso explains, "to cognitive tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify the affected brain areas. The goal is to observe the progression of the decline and understand whether it can be mitigated with moderate physical exercise, such as a daily walk monitored via an app."

The study, which will conclude in June 2028, will be complemented by similar research conducted by other members of the CONNECT group around the world.