Dr. Rhea Bhargava Identifies Key Mechanism of Kidney Injury in Pediatric Lupus

Dr. Rhea Bhargava, a COBRE-SPM pilot project leader, has published a major research article in Arthritis & Rheumatology, one of the most respected journals in the field of rheumatology.

The study, titled “Aberrant Glycosylation of IgG in Children with Active Lupus Nephritis Alters Podocyte Metabolism and Causes Podocyte Injury,” uncovers how abnormal sugar modifications on IgG antibodies contribute to kidney damage in pediatric lupus patients. These findings offer new insights into the metabolic vulnerabilities of podocytes, specialized kidney cells, and how they are affected in lupus nephritis, a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Dr. Bhargava's work represents a significant step forward in understanding disease mechanisms in childhood lupus and could pave the way for the development of more targeted therapies aimed at preserving kidney function.

Find more information on the publication:

Rhea Bhargava, Rohit Upadhyay, Cong Zhao, Prasad Katakam, Scott Wenderfer, Jing Chen, Hua He, Richard Cummings, Maria G Tsokos, George C Tsokos. Aberrant glycosylation of IgG in children with active lupus nephritis alters podocyte metabolism and causes podocyte injury. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025. Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.43200