A Liquid Biopsy for Lupus Nephritis?

A liquid biopsy for kidney lupus is being developed. It relies on determining levels of tenascin C in the urine. It’s a predictor of kidney function loss in lupus. – Dr. Robert Katz, LSI’s Board Chair and Medical Advisory Board Chair.

What it is: Liquid biopsy is a noninvasive urine test that looks at proteins and is currently being developed for lupus nephritis by Dr. Andrea Fava, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Rheumatology, and director of Lupus Translational Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and his colleagues.

Liquid biopsy is being developed to predict if a patient has active lupus nephritis.  Renal biopsies provide important information but come with risk of complications.  The liquid biopsy would alleviate those specific risks and can be repeated as often as necessary.

The liquid biopsy when developed will enable doctors to monitor the progress of treatments without repeating the traditional kidney biopsy.

Liquid biopsy is still being developed and illustrates a potential benefit to lupus patients in the future.

For more information, read the full article in the Rheumatologist
A Liquid Biopsy for Lupus Nephritis?
Samantha C. Shapiro, MD | Issue: November 2025 | October 10, 2025