Chou-Long Huang, MD, PhD, Director of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, delivered the Jack W. Coburn, MD, Endowed Lectureship during the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week in San Diego last month. Dr. Coburn was an esteemed Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. In a special tribute following his passing, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology called Dr. Coburn “an extraordinary physician, whose numerous achievements dramatically improved the clinical care of patients with kidney disease.”

Dr. Huang presented a lecture entitled “Cellular andMolecular Mechanisms of Action of Klotho,” which has been described as “ananti-aging protein.” Its function as a co-receptor of fibroblast growth factor 23 indicates its involvement as a key regulator in the development of cardiovascular disease. Klotho is mostly expressed in the kidneys, parathyroid glands, and the choroid plexus in the brain. “Secreted klotho functions,” Dr.Huang says, “as a humoral factor that regulates several ion channels andtransporters, and other processes, including insulin and insulin-like growthfactor signaling.” Dr. Huang returned to the University of Iowa as Division Director in February 2017.