Amos Douvdevani, Emeritus

The main research topics in the lab are: 1. Development of a novel peritoneal dialysis fluid based on a conventional fluid with a blocker of peritoneal sodium glucose cotransporter. Peritoneal dialysis is a renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease. The aims are to improve ultrafiltration and reduce the undesirable metabolic effects of standard glucose-containing dialysis fluids. The study is mainly based on animal models, some tissue culture experiments, and future clinical studies on patients. 2. Evaluation of the predictive value of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in various pathological conditions. We have developed a simple, rapid fluorescent assay for measuring blood cfDNA concentrations. cfDNA is a product of cell necrosis, apoptosis, and active secretion. It is an excellent biomarker because it embeds in its value the damage to affected tissues and inflammation. We conduct local and complex multi-center clinical studies; for example, studies on various populations of patients with end-stage kidney disease, labor complications, and newborn and preterm babies.

Email: amosd@bgu.ac.il