New Insights in Uremic Toxins and Toxin-Related Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Uremic Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 555

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Interests: uremic toxins; protein-bound uremic toxins; chronic kidney disease; leukocyte/monocyte function; leukocyte–endothelial interaction; inflammation in CKD; dialysis fluid purity/endotoxins; gut–kidney axis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Interests: uraemic toxins; chronic kidney disease; pediatrics; Hemodialysis

grade E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Nephrology Section, 0K12, Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Interests: uremia; chronic kidney disease; hemodialysis; adequacy of dialysis; acute kidney injury
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade, insights into uremic toxicity have evolved. The introduction of metabolome analyses has offered a more balanced view on uremic retention by revealing the accumulation of not only toxic but also potentially beneficial retention metabolites. All these metabolites, which are secreted by organs or absorbed via the intestine into the circulation, can, together with signaling molecules, receptors, transporter proteins and enzymes, remotely affect multiple organs and lead to disordered communication. Knowledge about the origin (diet, gut microbiota and host metabolism) and biological impact (increased inflammation and sex-related aspects) of uremic toxins has grown. A lot can also be learned from veterinary studies on uremic toxins in kidney disease. While promising innovations for the treatment of advanced kidney failure, such as portable dialysis and bio-artificial kidneys, are under development, increased attention is now also paid to preventive and life-style measures to limit the accumulation of uremic toxins, their toxicity, and their effect on outcomes in CKD. This Special Issue, titled “New Insights in Uremic Toxins and Toxin-Related Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease”, welcomes submissions related to the topics described above.

Prof. Dr. Griet Glorieux
Prof. Dr. Evelien Snauwaert
Prof. Dr. Raymond Vanholder
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • uremic toxins
  • metabolome
  • nutrition
  • diet
  • dialysis
  • sex-related
  • inflammation
  • aryl hydrocarbon receptor
  • post-translational modifications
  • human
  • veterinary

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

11 pages, 4520 KB  
Article
Kynurenine Promotes Phosphate-Induced Endothelial Calcification via Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition, Osteoblastic Differentiation and AhR Activation
by Martina Molinaro, Mario Cozzolino and Paola Ciceri
Toxins 2025, 17(8), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17080421 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 434
Abstract
In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the accumulation of solutes normally excreted by the kidneys contributes to multiple complications, including vascular calcification (VC), a key factor in the heightened cardiovascular risk seen in these patients. Among VC drivers, hyperphosphatemia and the uremic milieu are [...] Read more.
In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the accumulation of solutes normally excreted by the kidneys contributes to multiple complications, including vascular calcification (VC), a key factor in the heightened cardiovascular risk seen in these patients. Among VC drivers, hyperphosphatemia and the uremic milieu are major contributors. Kynurenine, a tryptophan metabolite classified as a uremic toxin, may further exacerbate this process. This study investigated whether kynurenine amplifies high phosphate (Pi)-induced calcification in human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC). Cells were treated with Pi and kynurenine for up to seven days. Kynurenine increased Pi-induced calcium deposition by 36%, accompanied by enhanced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and osteoblastic differentiation. Mechanistically, kynurenine activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, and pharmacological inhibition of AhR partially attenuated this effect. These findings suggest that kynurenine contributes to VC in ESRD by potentiating phosphate-induced endothelial dysfunction via AhR signaling. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop