Funding NS Research

What does the charity do?

The fund has been set up to raise money for research into the causes, treatment and hopefully a cure for nephrotic syndrome, which is being carried out at the specialist Kidney Unit of Bristol Children\'s Hospital.

How is the money being used?

All the expenses required to enable the research programme to continue are funded by charitable donations. This includes staffing costs, large items of equipment and 'consumables' - which describes the everyday expenses used in experiments, ranging from the purchase of exotic items such as antibodies, to more mundane things like glass and plasticware.

One major piece of equipment purchased for the programme is a tissue culture hood which is the sterile bench at which the scientists site to culture and experiment on cells.

How much do we hope to raise?

Staff Salaries - The most expensive ongoing item of cost is staff salaries. Renewal of contracts for an experienced technician and a post-doctorial researcher are vital to keep the research programme running.

Fundraising Target for Staff Salaries - £60,000 per annum

Individual Projects - The research is broken down into individual projects to help the researchers understand more about specific areas. Funds are required to enable the following projects:

The identification of rogue proteins in the blood that cause nephrotic syndrome
How do steroids work on the kidney in treatment of nephrotic syndrome
The mechanism by which diabetes causes kidney damage and nephrotic syndrome

Fundraising Target for Individual Projects - £5,000-10,000 per project

Right Equipment - Having access to the right equipment is important to enable the research team to work as efficiently as possible. Once key piece of equipment that is needed by the team is a \"Real-time\" PCR machine, this amplifies DNA to enable further study.