Jan. 2026 Newsletter
Alliance Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
January 21, 2026 marks one year since our organizational rebranding from PKD Outreach Foundation to PKD-Free Alliance. Over the past twelve months, we focused our mission by prioritizing access to grant funding for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-M) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), so families impacted by polycystic kidney disease could stop the disease from being passed on to the next generation.
"Our team established meaningful connections with patients and providers, expanded outreach, and helped parents achieve their dreams of having healthy children free of the burden of PKD," said Alliance Founder Richard Kellner. "...There is more that we need to do for families that are making the sacrifices necessary to spare their future generations from this disease and we look forward to continuing our positive momentum into 2026 and beyond."
Documenting Accomplishments
Organizational progress and growth over the course of the past year are detailed in our first-ever "Impact Report."
Learn about the success of our grant program, expanding outreach and partnerships, and measurable progress toward a PKD-Free future.
As a complementary piece to our Impact Report, click the video preview below to view a sampling of our 2025 media appearances. The Alliance is grateful to all the various outlets that allowed PKD-Free families and PKD care providers the opportunity to spread important awareness and education.
PKD Research Roundup
Kidney volume is commonly used to assess renal function in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). A new article in Communications Medicine outlines how observing specific changes in cysts may also help track disease progression in these same patients.
A recent article in Clinical Kidney Journal examines sex-specific differences in ADPKD, highlighting how clinical features, progression, complications, and outcomes differ between the two sexes due to biological, hormonal, and psychosocial factors.
Adult patients with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) experience kidney shrinkage, in contrast to their ADPKD peers. An article in Kidney International Reports reviews kidney reduction implications in those with ARPKD and the importance of functional assessments beyond measurement of volume.
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