Purpose of review: To describe recent advances in the development of therapeutic agents for acute kidney injury (AKI).
Recent findings: Traditional care for AKI is mostly supportive. At present, no specific therapy has been developed to prevent or treat AKI. However, based on a better understanding of the pathophysiology of AKI, various potential compounds have been recently identified and tested. A variety of pathways has been targeted, including oxidative and mitochondrial stress, cellular metabolism and repair, inflammation, apoptosis and hemodynamics. Many of these potential agents are currently ongoing early-phase clinical trials, and the purpose of this review is to provide a summary of those with the most potential.
Summary: Despite the lack of therapies specifically approved for AKI, many interesting potential agents are entering clinical trials, with the potential to transform the care of patients with AKI.