ISGD and the Fastest 5 Years in Glomerular Disease

For experts from the International Society of Glomerular Disease (ISGD), the last 5 years have been the fastest and most dynamic period in glomerular disease.

In this special report, Barbara Gillespie, MD, an adult nephrologist at the University of North Carolina and Chief Medical and Strategy Officer at ISGD, and Toby Huber, MD, head of Internal Medicine at Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany and founding president of ISGD, break down the scientific advances and how they have revolutionized biological understanding for glomerular diseases.

To begin, over the last 5 years, single-cell and spatial tissue technologies have significantly improved the understanding of kidney biology by providing higher-resolution views of kidney tissue, thereby enabling new molecular stratifications of disease. As a result, these advances have guided the field towards the identification of new biomarkers, along with more precise trial design.

Across several diseases, the definition of new autoantibody biomarkers has improved diagnostic accuracy. Among complement-mediated and B-cell-mediated glomerular diseases, there have been additional unprecedented advancements through phase 3 trials.

For Gillespie and Huber alike, the founding of ISGD in 2022 has underscored a structural change in their ecosystem. They credit the organization with catalyzing collaboration among academia, regulators, and industry members. Specifically, ISGD’s initiative, PARASOL, was launched to identify more precise surrogate endpoints such as proteinuria and eGFR for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and other glomerular diseases.

To close the episode, these experts set HCPLive viewers up for a thorough analysis of specific diseases and trial paradigms they will explore in the next few episodes.

Featured Experts

Barbara Gillespie, MD, Chief Medical and Strategy Officer of the International Society of Glomerular Disease and Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina

Tobias Huber, MD, President of the International Society of Glomerular Disease, Chair of the Center of Internal Medicine; Director of the III. Department of Medicine (Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Transplantation); and Director of the Hamburg Center for Kidney Health at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

Editors’ Note: Gillespie reports no relevant disclosures. Huber reports relevant disclosures with Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Alexion, Pfizer, Retrophin-Travere, and Fresenius Medical Care.

References

1. Norouzi S. Complement Inhibitors Reshape Treatment Landscape for C3 Glomerulopathy, With Sayna Norouzi. HCPLive. Published March 2, 2026. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/complement-inhibitors-reshape-treatment-landscape-for-c3-glomerulopathy

2. Radhakrishnan J. New Guidelines and Novel Therapies in IgA Nephropathy, With Jai Radhakrishnan, MD. HCPLive. Published 2025. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/new-guidelines-and-novel-therapies-in-iga-nephropathy-with-jai-radhakrishnan-md

3. Neuen B, Wadhwani, S. Kidney Compass: The PARASOL Initiative, with Laura Mariani, MD, MS, and Daniel Gale, PhD, MB BChir. HCPLive. Published December 11, 2024. Accessed March 6, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/kidney-compass-the-parasol-initiative-with-laura-mariani-md-ms-and-daniel-gale-phd-mb-bchir