American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week Glomerular Diseases Update 2025

The Glomerular Diseases: 2025 Update was a full-day Early Program held on the Wednesday immediately preceding the main ASN Kidney Week 2025 Annual Meeting.
This course is consistently one of the most popular early programs, designed to be a “one-stop shop” for updates on glomerular pathology. The 2025 edition focused on the explosion of new therapeutic options, particularly for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and Lupus Nephritis, helping clinicians navigate the increasingly crowded landscape of B-cell therapies and complement inhibitors.
+ What You Will Learn
The curriculum was designed to update the “mental models” of clinicians regarding disease pathogenesis and treatment. Key learning outcomes included:

IgA Nephropathy Revolution: How to choose between the multiple new FDA-approved options (e.g., endothelin receptor antagonists vs. B-cell depleters vs. complement inhibitors) based on patient profiles.

Lupus Nephritis (LN): Interpreting the 2024 KDIGO Guidelines update, specifically regarding the timing of “add-on” therapies (like voclosporin or belimumab) to standard of care.

The “Podocytopathy” Reclassification: Moving away from “FSGS” and “MCD” toward a molecular classification based on autoantibodies (e.g., anti-nephrin) and genetic drivers.

AI in Diagnosis: Anticipated uses of Artificial Intelligence to read renal biopsies and predict prognosis in glomerular disease.

+ Event Details

Event: Glomerular Diseases: 2025 Update (ASN Early Program)

Date: November 5, 2025 (Wednesday)

Time: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Location: Grand Ballroom B, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Chairs: Rupali S. Avasare, MD & John Cijiang He, MD, PhD.

+ Who Should Attend

General Nephrologists: Who need to feel confident managing complex glomerulonephritis without immediately referring to a tertiary center.

Nephropathologists: Interested in the clinical correlation of the biopsies they read.

Fellows: For whom this serves as an intensive board review of “The Glomerular Diseases.”

+ Why Attend (or Watch)

The “CPC” Format: The course is anchored by two major Clinicopathologic Conferences (CPCs)—one on Nephritic Syndrome and one on Nephrotic Syndrome. These sessions feature a “case detective” format where experts debate the diagnosis before the biopsy is revealed, offering invaluable insight into clinical reasoning.

Genetics Integration: A major theme for 2025 was “When to Order Genetics,” moving beyond Alport Syndrome to testing for APOL1 and collagen 4 mutations in adults with “presumed” hypertensive sclerosis.

Faculty Access: Speakers included leaders in the field like Dr. Richard Lafayette (IgAN) and Dr. Duvuru Geetha (Vasculitis), who are often the principal investigators on the trials being discussed.

+ Topics
The agenda featured specific high-yield modules:

Disease-Specific Updates:

Choosing the Right Drug Regimen in IgA Nephropathy (Richard A. Lafayette, MD).

Treating Lupus Nephritis: What’s New in the 2024 KDIGO Guidelines? (Samir V. Parikh, MD).

ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: Current Status and Future Perspective (Duvuru Geetha, MD).

Pathophysiology & Diagnostics:

Targeting the Complement Pathway in Glomerular Disease (Joshua M. Thurman, MD).

How Genetic Testing Informs Diagnosis and Therapy in 2025 (Benjamin Wooden, MD).

Monoclonal Gammopathy of Renal Significance (MGRS) (Nelson Leung, MD).

Emerging Concepts:

Exploring the Impact of AI on Glomerular Diseases (Laura H. Mariani, MD).

Antibody Discovery and Podocytopathy Classification (Kristin Meliambro, MD).