About PKD Foundation

Description: The PKD Foundation is the only organization worldwide devoted to discovering the cause, improving clinical treatment and finding a cure for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Mission: Once viewed as a hopelessly incurable disorder, polycystic kidney disease (PKD) has emerged as a prime target of study and treatment. The PKD Foundation, founded by the late Joseph H. Bruening and Jared J. Grantham, MD, in 1982, is the catalyst for this growth. Our purpose is to bridge the gap between ignorance and knowledge about PKD by promoting programs of research and fostering public awareness among medical professionals, corporations, foundations and the general public. We work to develop funding for peer-approved biomedical research projects. In addition, we provide the only regular source of PKD information and offer the only complete forum for patient education anywhere in the world. PKD is the most common life-threatening genetic disease in the world, affecting 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide. There are more persons with PKD than the combined numbers of those with cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, Down's syndrome and sickle cell anemia. PKD comes in two hereditary forms: autosomal dominant (ADPKD), or autosomal recessive (ARPKD), a relatively rare disease that often causes significant mortality in the first month of life.