Two ways to clear more middle molecules arrive in US dialysis units at once. A urine dipstick can show whether patients are taking their SGLT2 inhibitor. Two papers disagree about who should let AI write the notes. Nine picks from the week of September 21, 2026, each with the story, the numbers and a take.
Disclosure: Dr. Hussein serves on the Fresenius Medical Care US Home Medical Advisory Board. Fresenius sells hemodiafiltration machines, which are discussed in this episode.
Chapters
- 00:00 Cold open and running order
- 01:10 Hemodiafiltration: a JASN review makes the case for high-volume HDF as the global default, and how to prescribe it
- 05:06 Medium cutoff dialyzers: Nipro's ELISIO-HX is cleared in the US and DaVita is scaling it up. What the interview shows, and what it doesn't
- 08:13 Obinutuzumab: FDA approval for preventing relapse in frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent childhood-onset nephrotic syndrome, from age 2 into adulthood
- 11:08 Nephrology and CKM syndrome: an AJKD perspective on shifting the specialty from organ failure to prevention
- 13:59 Atherosclerosis in CKD: a CJASN review of mechanisms, risk prediction and the treatment menu
- 17:54 GLP-1 receptor agonists in CKD: a case-based CJASN "How I Treat" piece
- 21:03 The dipstick adherence check: glucosuria on routine urinalysis as a marker that patients are taking their SGLT2 inhibitor
- 24:31 AI in practice: where AI can take paperwork off the nephrologist's desk
- 27:44 Fellows and AI: training for the AI era without "never-skilling"
- 30:24 Close
Papers and news in this episode
- Blankestijn PJ, et al. Hemodiafiltration: Clinical Practice of Today and a Look into the Future. JASN 2026 (ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.0000001282
- Healio | Nephrology, September 24, 2026. Q&A with DaVita's chief medical officer: recent FDA approval prompts expansion of medium cutoff dialyzers. https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20260924/qa-recent-fda-approval-prompts-expansion-of-medium-cutoff-dialyzers
- Healio | Nephrology, September 25, 2026. FDA approves obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Background in this segment also came from FDA-approval coverage in Contemporary Pediatrics and HCPLive and from Genentech's trial release, not only from the Healio report. https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20260925/fda-approves-gazyva-for-idiopathic-nephrotic-syndrome-in-pediatric-patients
- Sridhar VS, Levin A. AJKD perspective on the nephrologist's role in cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. AJKD 2026 (ahead of print). https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(26)01125-X/fulltext
- Correa S, Cuningham JW, Mc Causland FR. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in CKD: Contemporary Insights into Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management. CJASN 2026 (ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.0000001199
- Cheung DS. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in CKD: A Case-Based Discussion of Translating Evidence into Practice. CJASN 2026 (ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.0000001252
- Li Z, et al. Glucosuria as a Marker of Adherence to Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Clinical Outcomes in Real-World Practice. JASN 2026 (ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.0000001252
- Aiumtrakul N, Thongprayoon C, Cheungpasitporn W. Artificial Intelligence in Nephrology Practice: Practical Pathways to Improve Efficiency. Kidney360 2026 (ahead of print, open access). https://journals.lww.com/kidney360/fulltext/10.34067/kid.0000001424~artificial-intelligence-in-nephrology-practice-practical
- Fong JMN, Wang AYM. Equipping Nephrology Fellows with the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes for the Artificial Intelligence Era. CJASN 2026 (ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.0000001239
Physician-led, AI-assisted. Dr. Wael Hussein chooses the papers, reviews and edits every script, and approves every episode. The first draft is written with AI (Claude, by Anthropic) from the full text of each paper; a separate AI check compares every number with the papers; the hosts are AI voices (ElevenLabs). Everything is summarized in our own words; read the original before changing practice.
Educational content for healthcare professionals, not medical advice. Views are the creator's own and not those of his employer. No sponsors.
What is NephSpace?
NephSpace makes new kidney research easy and fun to follow.
Every week, a practicing nephrologist picks the most interesting new papers and news in nephrology, and two hosts talk them through: the story, the key numbers, why it matters, and an honest take on what the study does and doesn't prove.
Weekly episodes (about 30 minutes) cover that week's picks from the kidney journals, the big general journals and the specialty news. Deep Dives (15 to 20 minutes) follow one question further: two treatments racing for the same goal, a trial worth arguing about, a case that a new paper answers.
Made for nephrologists, nephrology fellows and kidney-care clinicians. Curious, evenhanded, never condescending.
Physician-led, AI-assisted. Dr. Wael Hussein, an academic nephrologist in Memphis, chooses every paper, reviews and edits every script, and approves every episode. First drafts are written with AI from the full text of each paper, a separate AI check compares every number with the papers, and the hosts' voices are AI-generated. Authors' industry ties are named on air, and Dr. Hussein's own disclosures are in every episode's notes.
Educational content for healthcare professionals, not medical advice. Views are the creator's own and not those of his employer. Papers are summarized in our own words, with links to the originals.
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