Sumant S. Chugh, MBBS, MD

Biography

Sumant S. Chugh, MBBS, MD, is Principal Investigator of the Glomerular Disease Therapeutics Laboratory and is actively involved in developing novel mechanism based treatments for chronic kidney disease, glomerular disease relapse and viral infection related cytokine storms. He is credited with describing the major molecular basis of human minimal change nephrotic syndrome. His laboratory described for the first time a sialic acid deficient form of the glycoprotein Angiopoietin-like 4 secreted by podocytes in this condition as being the first of potentially several hyposialylation inducing events in this disease (Nature Medicine 2011). He developed and patented the use of sialic acid and its precursors in the treatment of this disease. In addition, his group described the first clear molecular link between proteinuria and hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome mediated by a different circulating form of Angiopoietin-like 4 and albumin bound free fatty acids (Nature Medicine 2014). Mutated forms of the human protein have been patented to treat chronic kidney disease and have been successful in reducing proteinuria in pre-clinical studies on diabetic nephropathy and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. His group has investigated the role of the Zinc Fingers and Homeoboxes family of transcriptional factors in the pathogenesis and relapse of glomerular diseases, and in viral cytokine storms. More recently, he has conducted proof-of-concept studies in rodent models for cytokine storms induced by common cold viruses and SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. Novel treatment strategies to treat COVID-19 related multi-system disease and prevent common cold induced relapse of primary glomerular diseases have been recently patented.

Chugh is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and received his medical training in India and the U.S., followed by nephrology training at Boston University Medical Center. He was on the faculty at Northwestern University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham before joining Rush University. He has been a NIH investigator since 2001, with more than 50 peer reviewed publications and two active R01 grants.

Honors and Activities

2017: Dr. Andrew and Peg Thomson Endowed Chair
2012: Max Cooper Award for excellence in research
2012: Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation
2007: America’s Top Physicians
2004: Faculty Recognition Award from President and Provost of Northwestern University
2002: Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Award, American Society of Nephrology
1988: Merit Scholarship Award, Punjab University
1988: Dr. Kaz Kawata Award in Preventive Medicine, Punjab University
1987: Distinction in Forensic Medicine
1986: Distinction in Physiology
1986: Distinction in Biochemistry
1985: Honors Degree in Premedical
1985: Ranked First in Premedical

Publications

Select 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

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

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

Macé C and Chugh SS. Nephrotic syndrome: components, connections and Angiopoietin-like 4 related therapeutics. Invited Review, J Am Soc Nephrol 2014;25: 2393–2398. PMID 24854282

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

Chugh SS and Clement LC. Telomerase at the center of collapsing glomerulopathy. Nat Med 2012;18:26-27. PMID:22227662

Clement LC, Avila-Casado C, Macé C, Soria E, Bakker WW, Kersten S and Chugh SS. Podocyte – secreted Angiopoietin-like-4 mediates proteinuria in glucocorticoid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Nat Med. 2011;17: 117-122. PMID: 21151138

Liu G, Clement L, 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

Liu G, Kaw B, Kurfis J, Rahmanuddin S, Kanwar YS, Chugh SS. Neph1 and nephrin interaction in the slit diaphragm is an important determinant of glomerular permeability. J Clin Invest 2003;112:209-221. PMID:12865409

Chugh S, Bird R, Alexander EA. Ritonavir and renal failure. N Engl J Med 1997;336:138. PMID:8992345

Grants

1) NIH 1R01DK128203 (May 1 2021 to April 30 2026)
Principal Investigator Sumant S. Chugh
Title Soluble mediators of relapse
Brief summary: This proposal will investigate the cytokine storm induced by common cold infections to prevent relapse of minimal change disease and focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis.

2) NIH 1R01DK129522 (August 15 2021 to July 31 2025)
Principal Investigator Sumant S. Chugh
Title COVID-19 cytokine storm
Brief summary: This proposal will investigate mechanisms by which the extensive COVID-19 related cytokine storm induces kidney injury.

Education

Research Areas