Polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a family of genetic disorders that causes clusters of cysts to form on the kidney, is among the most common genetic disorders, affecting some 500,000 people in the United States. Roughly one in every 1,000 people will develop some form of cystic kidney disease during their lifetime, and nearly 40,000 Oklahomans have a chronic kidney disease, according to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Now, new research from the University of Oklahoma aims to unravel the genetic mysteries of this disease and, in the process, open the door to novel therapies.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences recently announced the opening of more than 29,100 square feet of new laboratory space at University Research Park in Oklahoma City. The innovative facility represents an $11 million investment in OU’s strategic plan to become a top-tier research-driven academic health center.

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences has achieved its highest ranking ever in National Institutes of Health funding awarded for research. NIH funding increased to $75.2 million in the previous federal fiscal year, improving the campus’s ranking to 102 out of 2,838 institutions and other entities that receive NIH funding.

A new study published in Communications Medicine, a Nature publication, details the discovery of rare gene variants that increase the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in multiple generations of Asian Indian people. The unusual finding is a step toward more targeted treatment for all people with Type 2 diabetes, a disease with complex genetic influences.

On Saturday, the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry provided free cleanings, fillings and crowns to 74 children during the college’s annual Kids’ Day. The event was sponsored in part by the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation and was held at the college in Oklahoma City.