Controlling complement in the kidney: Updates on management of aHUS and IgAN from Kidney Week

The complement cascade is a key component of the immune system that plays an important role in recognizing pathogens and mounting an appropriate defence. When activated in the wrong contexts or misdirected against inappropriate tissues, it can lead to various disease pathologies, our understanding of which is continually evolving. In the kidney, complement-mediated injury has long been established as a driver of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and more recently, a role for complement has been recognized in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). At the recent Kidney Week meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, several clinical and real-world studies investigated the impact of using complement inhibitors in these two conditions. This report summarizes the most relevant findings and provides perspective from Canadian experts about the implications for clinical practice