Professor Jonathan Barratt

Jonathan leads the Renal Research Group within the College of Life Sciences University of Leicester. His research is focussed on a bench to bedside approach to improving our understanding of the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy a common global cause of kidney failure. Jonathan is the IgA nephropathy Rare Disease Group lead for the UK National Registry of Rare Kidney Diseases (RaDaR) and a member of the steering committee for the International IgA Nephropathy Network. He works closely with pharmaceutical companies interested in new treatments for IgA nephropathy and is Chief Investigator for a number of international randomised controlled Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in IgA nephropathy and was a member of the FDA and American Society of Nephrology Kidney Health Initiative: Identifying Surrogate Endpoints for Clinical Trials in IgA Nephropathy Work group.

My research is focussed on the kidney disease IgA nephropathy and encompasses work examining the fundamental immunological basis of this rare glomerular disease through to evaluation of novel therapies biomarker discovery and validation studies and investigation of the longterm physical and psychological impact of living with kidney disease.

Thompson A, Carroll K, Inker LA, Floege J, Perkovic V, Boyer-Suavet S, Major RW, Schimpf JI, Barratt J, Cattran DC, Gillespie BS, Kausz A, Mercer AW, Reich HN, Rovin BH, West M, Nachman PH. Proteinuria Reduction as a Surrogate End Point in Trials of IgA Nephropathy. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Jan 11. pii: CJN.08600718. doi: 10.2215/CJN.08600718. PMID: 30635299

Taylor S, Pieri K, Nanni P, Tica J, Barratt J, DIdangelos A. Phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein-4 (PEBP4) is increased in IgA Nephropathy and is associated with IgA-positive B-cells in affected kidneys. J Autoimmun. 2019 Aug 8:102309. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.102309. PMID: 31402200

Pawluczyk IZA, Soares MSF, Barratt WA, Brown JR, Bhachu JS, Selvaskandan H, Zeng Y, Sarania R, Molyneux K, Roberts ISD, Barratt J. Macrophage interactions with collecting duct epithelial cells are capable of driving tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2020 Aug 23:gfaa079. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa079. PMID: 32830258

Taylor S, Whitfield M, Barratt J, Didangelos A. The Metalloproteinase ADAMTS5 Is Expressed by Interstitial Inflammatory Cells in IgA Nephropathy and Is Proteolytically Active on the Kidney Matrix. J Immunol. 2020 Sep 11:ji2000448. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000448. PMID: 32917786

Sukcharoen K, Sharp SA, Thomas NJ, Kimmitt R, Harrison J, Bingham C, Mozere M, Weedon MN, Barratt J, Gale D, Oram RA. IgA Nephropathy Genetic Risk Score to Estimate the Prevalence of IgA Nephropathy in UK Biobank. Kidney Int Rep. 2020 Jul 19;5(10):1643-1650. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2020.07.012. eCollection 2020 Oct. PMID: 33102956

Lafayette R, Rovin BH, Reich HN, Tumlin JA, Floege J, Barratt J. Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Narsoplimab, a Novel MASP-2 Inhibitor for the Treatment of IgA Nephropathy. Kidney Int Rep. August 13, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ekir.2020.08.003

Medrano AS, Muijsemberg A, Wimbury D, Martin M, Jatem E, González J, Colás-Campás L, García-Carrasco A, Martínez C, Barratt J. Relationship between IgA1 lectin-binding specificities, mesangial C4d deposits and clinical phenotypes in IgA nephropathy. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2020 Dec 14:gfaa356. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa356. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33315098

Pawluczyk IZ, Didangelos A, Barbour SJ, Er L, Becker JU, Martin R, Taylor S, Bhachu JS, Lyons EG, Jenkins R, Fraser D, Molyneux K, Perales-Patón J, Saez-Rodriguez J, Barratt J. Differential expression of microRNA miR-150-5p in IgA nephropathy as a potential mediator and marker of disease progression. Kidney Int. 2021 Jan 5:S0085-2538(20)31553-2. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2020.12.028. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33417998

Vasilica C, Oates T, Clausner C, Ormandy P, Barratt J, Graham-Brown M. Identifying Information Needs of Patients With IgA Nephropathy Using an Innovative Social Media-stepped Analytical Approach. Kidney Int Rep. 2021 Mar 2;6(5):1317-1325. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2021.02.030. eCollection 2021 May. PMID: 34013110

Pawluczyk I, Nicholson M, Barbour S, Er L, Selvaskandan H, Bhachu JS, Barratt J. A Pilot Study to Predict Risk of IgA Nephropathy Progression Based on miR-204 Expression. Kidney Int Rep. 2021 Jun 5;6(8):2179-2188. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2021.05.018. eCollection 2021 Aug. PMID: 34386667

The Mayer IgA Nephropathy Laboratory offers regular PhD studentships and these can include basic science laboratory work alongside more translational research studies examining the impact of new therapies on kidney physiology and pathology.

Areas available for PhD studies include:

Dissecting the influence of the extracellular matrix in progression of IgA nephropathy.

Manipulation of the gut microbiome in IgA nephropathy.

Identification of novel mesangial cell IgA receptors and defining their role in IgA nephropathy.

The role of microRNAs in tubulointerstitial fibrosis in IgA nephropathy.

Elucidating the 3-dimensional structure of the IgA1 moleculte in IgA nephropathy.

The role of KCa3.1 in tubular interstitial inflammation and interstitial fibrosis.

Defining the genetic contribution to IgA1 O-glycosylation in IgA nephropathy.

Understanding the role of the CARD9 risk allele in IgA nephropathy.

Defining the precise contribution of specific IgA1 O-glycoforms to renal inflammation in IgA nephropathy.

The Mayer IgA Nephropathy Laboratory hosts undergraduate and postgraduate students providing them with an excellent opportunity to develop their practical and analytical skills.

Senior members of the Laboratory teach on both undergraduate Biological Sciences degree courses and the Masters programmes in the College. Clinical members of the Laboratory also teach in the Medical School delivering lectures and bedside teaching in the John Walls Renal Unit.

I am Head of the Postgraduate Speciality School for Clinical Academic Training for the East Midlands and work with both the University of Leicester and the University of Nottingham to deliver exceptional training for academic Foundation doctors NIHR Academic Clinical Fellows and Clinical Lecturers.

I am happy to discuss all aspects of kidney disease from the basic physiology of the kidney through to the personal impact of living with kidney disease and how we are developing new treatments to combat this devastating group of diseases.