Yuting Mao
Seminars
Tuesday 16th March 2027
Workshop A | Benchmarking Animal, Organoid & Human-Relevant CKD Models to Improve Translation, De-Risk Target Selection & Enter the Clinic with Greater Confidence
9:00 am
No single CKD model captures the heterogeneity of human kidney disease. This workshop will critically compare 5/6 nephrectomy, dietary and disease-specific animal models alongside organoids, vascularised organoids, organ-on-chip systems and patient-derived approaches. Participants will explore which models answer which biological questions, where misleading translation occurs and how clinical data can be back-translated to build stronger preclinical packages before substantial development capital is committed.
What attendees will gain: A clearer decision framework for selecting and combining models according to disease biology, modality and translational objective.
Key questions:
- Which animal models best predict human CKD biology – and where does each fail?
- When should developers use disease-specific versus general CKD models?
- How mature are organoids, vascularised organoids and kidney-on-chip systems as translational tools?
- What evidence is required before non-animal models can meaningfully influence development or regulatory decisions?
- How can human clinical observations be back-translated to continuously improve preclinical models?
