University hospitals in Cologne, Aachen and Düsseldorf are pooling their expertise for better prevention, innovative therapies and closer collaboration.
Chronic kidney disease affects more than nine million people in Germany and significantly increases the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases. Many sufferers require dialysis or are waiting for a kidney transplant. To sustainably improve research and care, the university hospitals of Cologne, Aachen, and Düsseldorf have founded the Center of Excellence in Nephrology (CEN) .
The aim of the new network is to translate scientific findings into medical practice more quickly and to pool the existing expertise of the three locations. Patients will continue to be cared for at their respective university hospitals, but will benefit from joint research projects, innovative studies, and interdisciplinary exchange within the network.
The participants also aim to raise public awareness of chronic kidney diseases. According to experts, these are among the most underestimated widespread diseases and could become one of the leading causes of death worldwide in the future. Early diagnostic programs should help to detect diseases earlier and treat them in a timely manner.
Another focus of the CEN is the research into the diverse causes of chronic kidney disease. Close collaboration between the sites aims to improve the understanding of disease mechanisms and develop new, targeted treatment approaches. At the same time, the network creates better conditions for clinical trials, enabling patients to access innovative treatment options when standard therapies are unavailable.
The CEN will create an internationally visible research and care structure in North Rhine-Westphalia, which
The center combines nephrology, transplant medicine, and geriatric medicine. It aims to strengthen scientific collaboration, establish a shared data infrastructure, and improve the long-term care of people with chronic kidney disease.
Source: medizin.nrw
