Lionel C. Clement, PhD

Biography

Lionel C. Clement, PhD, is Principal investigator of the Glomerular Disease Therapeutics Laboratory. During his postdoctoral fellowship, he described for the first time a sialic acid deficient form of the glycoprotein Angiopoietin-like 4 secreted by podocytes in human minimal change nephrotic syndrome as being responsible for the major manifestations of this disease (Nature Medicine 2011). In addition, as a junior faculty, he described the first clear molecular link between proteinuria and hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome (Nature Medicine 2014). Clement is investigating the role of the Zinc Fingers and Homeoboxes 2 transcription factor in the pathogenesis of glomerular disease, and the cytokine cocktail induced relapse in minimal change disease and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. Furthermore, he is presently involved in identifying the molecular pathways leading to hyperlipidemia in nephrotic syndrome, with the goal of developing novel therapeutics strategies.

Clement received his PhD from France, followed by postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was on faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham before joining Rush University. He was funded by a NIH K01 grant, and is presently funded by a NIH R01 grant and co-investigator on a NIH R01 grant.

Honors and Activities

2020: Cohn Research Award, Rush Research Mentoring Programs.

Publications

Del Nogal Avila M*, Das R*, Kharlyngdoh J*, Molina-Jijon E* (equal contributors), Donoro Blazquez H, Gambut S, Crowley M, Crossman DK, Gbadagesin RA, Chugh SS, Chugh SS, Avila-Casado C, Macé C, Clement LC and Chugh SS. Cytokine storm based mechanisms for extra-pulmonary manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection. JCI Insight 2023 (In press). https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/166012

Molina-Jijon E, Gambut S, Macé C, Avila-Casado C, Clement LC. Secretion of the epithelial sodium channel chaperone PCSK9 from the cortical collecting duct links sodium retention with hypercholesterolemia in nephrotic syndrome. Kidney Int. 2020 Dec;98(6):1449-1460. PMID: 32750454

Macé C*, Del Nogal Avila M*, Marshall CB* (equal contributors), Kharlyngdoh J, Das R, Molina-Jijon E, Donoro Blazquez H, Shastry S, Soria E, Wetzels J, Dijkman H, Avila-Casado C, Clement LC and Chugh SS. The zing fingers and homeoboxes 2 protein ZHX2 and its interacting proteins regulate upstream pathways in podocyte diseases. Kidney Int. 2020 Apr;97(4):753-764. PMID: 32059999

Macé C, Clement LC. ManNAc, a new therapeutic agent to reduce Angptl4-induced proteinuria in MCD. Med Sci (Paris). 2016 Jun-Jul;32(6):606-11. PMID: 27406771

Del Nogal-Avila M, Donoro-Blazquez H, Saha MK, Marshall CB, Clement LC, Macé CE, Chugh SS. Novel therapeutic approaches for chronic kidney disease due to glomerular disorders. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2016;311:F63-5. PMID: 27147672

Clement LC, Macé C, Marshall CM, Del Nogal Avila M, Chugh SS. The proteinuria-hypertriglyceridemia connection as a basis for novel therapeutics for nephrotic syndrome. Transl Res. 2015 Apr;165(4):499-504. PMID: 25005737

Macé C, Clement LC. Role of Angptl4 in nephrotic syndrome: a two-faced protein. Med Sci (Paris). 2014 Jun-Jul;30(6-7):605-7. PMID: 25014443

Chugh SS, Macé C, Clement LC, Del Nogal Avila M, Marshall C. Angiopoietin-like 4 based therapeutics for proteinuria and kidney disease. Front Pharmacol. 2014 Feb 25;5:23. PMID: 24611049

Clement LC*, Macé C* (equal contributors), Avila-Casado C, Joles JA, Kersten S, Chugh SS. Circulating Angiopoietin-like 4 links proteinuria with hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome. Nat Med. 2014 Jan 20(1):37-46. PMID: 24317117

Chugh SS, Clement LC. Telomerase at the center of collapsing glomerulopathy. Nat Med. 2012 Jan 6; 18(1):26-7. PMID: 22227662

Chugh SS, Clement LC, Macé C. New insights into human minimal change disease: lessons from animal models. Am J Kidney Dis. 2012 Feb; 59(2):284-92. Epub 2011 Oct 5. Review. PMID: 21974967

Tran TT, Poirier H, Clement L, Nassir F, Pelsers MM, Petit V, Degrace P, Monnot MC, Glatz JF, Abumrad NA, Besnard P, Niot I. Luminal lipid regulates CD36 levels and downstream signaling to stimulate chylomicron synthesis. J Biol Chem. 2011 Jul15; 286(28):25201-10. PMID: 21610069

Clement LC, Avila-Casado C, Macé C, Soria E, Bakker WW, Kersten S and Chugh SS. Podocyte – secreted Angiopoietin-like 4 mediates proteinuria and hyperlipidemia in corticosteroid – sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Nat Med. 2011 Jan; 17(1):117-22. PMID: 21151138

Clement L, Liu G, Perez-Torres I, Kanwar YS, Avila-Casado C and Chugh SS. Early changes in gene expression that influence the course of primary glomerular disease. Kidney Int. 2007; 72:337-347. PMID: 17457373

Liu G*, Clement L* (* equal authors), Kanwar YS, Avila-Casado C and Chugh SS. ZHX proteins regulate podocyte gene expression during the development of nephrotic syndrome. J Biol Chem 2006, 281; 39681-39692. PMID: 17056598

Poirier H, Rouault C, Clement L, Niot I, Monnot M-C, Guerre-Millo M, and Besnard P. Hyperinsulinaemia tiggered by dietary conjugated linoleic acid is associated with a decrease in leptin and adiponectin plasma levels and pancreatic beta cell hyperplasia in the mouse. Diabetologia. 2005 Jun; 48(6):1059-65. PMID: 15868135

Poirier H, Niot I, Clement L, Guerre-Millo M, and Besnard P. Development of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-mediated lipoatrophic syndrome in the mouse. Biochimie. 2005 Jan; 87(1):73-9. Review. PMID: 15733740

Bellenger J, Bellenger S, Clement L, Mandard S, Diot C, Poisson J-P, and Narce M. A new hypotensive polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary combination regulates oleic acid accumulation by suppression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 gene expression in the SHR model of genetic hypertension. FASEB J. 2004 Apr; 18(6):773-5. PMID: 14977874

Drozdowski L, Clement L, Keelan M, Niot I, Clandinin MT, Agellon L, Wild G, Besnard P, and Thomson AB. Dietary lipids modify intestinal lipid-binding protein RNA abundance in diabetic and control rats. Digestion. 2004; 70(3):192-8. PMID: 15627765

Besnard P, Niot I, Poirier H, Clement L, and Bernard A. New insights into the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) family in the small intestine. Mol Cell Biochem. 2002 Oct; 239(1-2):139-47. Review. PMID: 12479579

Clement L, Poirier H, Niot I, Bocher V, Guerre-millo M, Krief S, Staels B, and Besnard P. Dietary trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid triggers hyperinsulinaemia and fatty liver in the mouse. J Lipid Res. 2002 Sep; 43(9):1400-9. PMID: 12235171

Grants

1)NIH 1R01DK133330 (March 15 2023 to December 31 2027)
Principal Investigator Camille Macé
Co-Investigator Lionel C. Clement
Title: COVID-19-induced worsening of glomerular diseases
Brief summary: This proposal will study the effect of cytokine storm, released during COVID-19 infection, in worsening preexisting glomerular disease in animal models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy, with the goal of developing novel therapeutic strategy.

2) NIH 1R01DK126926 (January 1 2021 to December 31 2024)
Principal Investigator Lionel C. Clement
Title: Kidney PCSK9 in nephrotic syndrome
Brief summary: This proposal will investigate the role of kidney PCSK9 in the initiation of nephrotic syndrome related hypercholesterolemia.

3) NIH 1R01DK129522 (August 15 2021 to August 14 2024)
Principal Investigator Sumant S. Chugh
Co-Investigator Lionel C. Clement
Title: COVID-19 cytokine storm
Brief summary: Study COVID-19 induced cytokine storm components on glomerular injury and develop therapeutic strategies by systematic depletion or blockage of the cytokine storm.

4) NIH 1K01096127-01 (July 1 2012 to June 30 2018)
Principal Investigator Lionel C. Clement
Title: Investigation of nephrotic syndrome
Brief summary: This proposal will study the pathogenesis of hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome.

Education

Research Areas