ASN Kidney Week Genetics in Clinical Nephrology 2025

The Genetics in Clinical Nephrology course was a dedicated Early Program held on the Wednesday immediately preceding the main ASN Kidney Week 2025 Annual Meeting.

This comprehensive full-day session was designed to demystify the rapidly expanding role of genetics in daily nephrology practice. It moved beyond the “research” phase to focus on the practical clinical integration of genetic testing, helping clinicians understand when to test, how to interpret complex results (like Variants of Uncertain Significance), and how these findings directly alter patient management and family counseling.

+ What You Will Learn

The curriculum focused on actionable “nephrogenetics.” Key learning outcomes included:

• Testing Modalities: A clear guide on choosing the right test—knowing when to order a targeted Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel versus Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) or Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).

• Transplant Implications: How genetic findings change the risk assessment for living related donors (e.g., in APOL1-mediated disease or Alport syndrome) to prevent “donating” the disease.

• Therapeutic Targets: Updates on new precision therapies that target specific genetic pathways in Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and complement-mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA).

• Variant Interpretation: A workshop-style breakdown of the ACMG (American College of Medical Genetics) classification system to help clinicians understand the difference between “Pathogenic” and “Benign.”

+ Event Details

• Event: Genetics in Clinical Nephrology (ASN Early Program)

• Date: November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)

• Time: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

• Location: Room 310A, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas, USA

• Chairs: Arlene B. Chapman, MD & Emilie Cornec-Le Gall, MD, PhD.

+ Who Should Attend

• General Nephrologists: Who are seeing an increasing number of patients with “unknown etiology” CKD (which is often genetic).

• Transplant Nephrologists: Who need to screen living donors and recipients for hereditary risks.

• Genetic Counselors: Working within renal clinics.

• Pediatric Nephrologists: For whom genetics is a cornerstone of diagnosis (CAKUT, nephrotic syndromes).

+ Why Attend (or Watch)

• The “Black Box” Problem: The course specifically addresses the “fear” many clinicians have of genetic reports, providing tools to confidently explain results to patients without needing a PhD in genetics.

• Rare Disease Registry: Insights from the RaDaR (Rare Diseases Registry) and the 100,000 Genomes Project, showing how big data is reclassifying diseases we thought we understood.

• Interactive Workshops: Unlike standard lectures, the afternoon sessions included small-group workshops on “Family History Taking” and “Ethical Considerations in Living Donation,” allowing for direct faculty mentorship.

+ Topics

The agenda featured specific high-yield modules:

• Foundations:

  • Updates on Genetic Kidney Diseases (Gabriel Loeb, MD, PhD).

  • Understanding Genetic Testing: NGS vs. WES vs. WGS (Peter C. Harris, PhD).

• Clinical Applications:

  • Genetic Testing in Kidney Transplantation (Ali G. Gharavi, MD).

  • Unraveling the Genetics of Thrombotic Microangiopathy (Anuja Java, MD).

• Workshops:

  • Family History & ACMG Classification (Matthew Lanktree, MD, PhD).

  • Ethical Considerations in Living Kidney Donation.،

• Case Studies:

  • Nephrogenetic Clinical Cases: Real-world examples of how a genetic diagnosis changed the treatment plan (Arlene B. Chapman, MD).