Paper alert: Scott's PLD work gets the cover at Science Translational Medicine

Huge congratulations to Scott for publishing his PhD thesis first author work in Sci Trans Med and getting the cover! Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a condition where large fluid-filled cysts grow in a person’s kidneys and is one of the most common, life threatening genetic diseases worldwide. It is also the most common ciliopathy. 1 in 1000 babies born will develop ADPKD in adulthood, normally by the time they are in their 30s or 40s.

As well as the kidneys, cysts can form in other organs and the most common place is the liver. 90% of patients with kidney cysts will also have liver cysts (known as polycystic liver disease or PLD). PLD is a life-long condition and patients will often become malnourished as the liver cysts grow and push on their stomachs. As well as this, patients with PLD have a high risk of cysts bursting and becoming infected. Scott and the team’s work identify common cellular mechanisms in liver cyst formation regardless of genetic cause, including the ciliopathies and that these are targetable to slow cyst progression. It is a fantastic story about cilia, flow, and tissue mechanics and worth a deep read here: DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq5930

It was also featured as a Research Highlight in Nat Rev Gastro Hepato. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-023-00852-6