Researchers at Wake Forest University have discovered a mutation in the renin gene is a cause of inherited kidney disease.  Renin is a protein that regulates blood pressure.  When blood pressure drops, the kidneys release renin into the blood stream to help control blood pressure.  Researchers hope the information, appearing in the American Journal of Human Genetics, will be useful in identifying the cause of kidney disease that runs in families. 

This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of Renal Flash.