Research

Overview

For most of his independent faculty career, Dr. Abrahamson’s research has concentrated on studying glomerular development during kidney organogenesis, how the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is assembled, and what goes wrong in certain glomerular diseases that results in proteinuria. The underlying hypothesis driving this work supposes that the glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes are in a dynamically reciprocal interrelationship with the GBM and that errors in GBM biosynthesis and maintenance adversely affects the biology of those cells. Similarly, glomerular cell injury often results in abnormal GBM biosynthesis, leading to further cell damage and defects in the glomerular filtration barrier. His lab studies these problems chiefly in mouse models of human glomerular disease (Alport Syndrome and anti-GBM disease), using a variety of transgenic, kidney transplantation, and embryonic kidney organ culture approaches.

In addition to his laboratory research program, Dr. Abrahamson also is PI of a NIGMS/NIH COBRE grant that provides funds for pilot research projects in developmental biology and scientific core facility support at KUMC.

• Abrahamson, D., R. 1991. Glomerulogenesis in the developing kidney.. Seminars in nephrology, 11 (4), 375-89
• Robert, B, St John, P., L, Abrahamson, D., R. 1998. Direct visualization of renal vascular morphogenesis in Flk1 heterozygous mutant mice.. The American journal of physiology, 275 (1), F164-72
• Holzman, L., B, St John, P., L, Kovari, I., A, Verma, R, Holthofer, H, Abrahamson, D., R. 1999. Nephrin localizes to the slit pore of the glomerular epithelial cell.. Kidney international, 56 (4), 1481-91
• Abrahamson, D., R, Prettyman, A., C, Robert, B, St John, P., L. 2003. Laminin-1 reexpression in Alport mouse glomerular basement membranes.. Kidney international, 63 (3), 826-34
• Steenhard, B., M, Isom, K., S, Cazcarro, P, Dunmore, J., H, Godwin, A., R, St John, P., L, Abrahamson, D., R. 2005. Integration of embryonic stem cells in metanephric kidney organ culture.. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN, 16 (6), 1623-31
• Abrahamson, D., R, St John, P., L, Isom, K, Robert, B, Miner, J., H. 2007. Partial rescue of glomerular laminin alpha5 mutations by wild-type endothelia produce hybrid glomeruli.. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN, 18 (8), 2285-93
• Abrahamson, D., R, Isom, K, Roach, E, Stroganova, L, Zelenchuk, A, Miner, J., H, St John, P., L. 2007. Laminin compensation in collagen alpha3(IV) knockout (Alport) glomeruli contributes to permeability defects.. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN, 18 (9), 2465-72
• Abrahamson, D., R, Hudson, B., G, Stroganova, L, Borza, D., B, St John, P., L. 2009. Cellular origins of type IV collagen networks in developing glomeruli.. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN, 20 (7), 1471-9
• Abrahamson, D., R. 2012. Role of the podocyte (and glomerular endothelium) in building the GBM.. Seminars in nephrology, 32 (4), 342-9
• Abrahamson, D., R, Steenhard, B., M, Stroganova, L, Zelenchuk, A, St John, P., L, Petroff, M., G, Patarroyo, M, Borza, D., B. 2019. Maternal alloimmune IgG causes anti-glomerular basement membrane disease in perinatal transgenic mice that express human laminin α5.. Kidney international, 96 (6), 1320-1331