Interview with Prof J. Cannata-Andia

Prof J. Cannata-Andia Servicio de Metabolismo Oseo y Mineral Instituto “Reina Sofía” de Investigación, Hospital Central de Asturias Oviedo, Spain

Prof Zoccali: After a long experience in the Council as member and then as Secretary-Treasurer you were recently elected President of the ERA-EDTA. Also thanks to the efforts of your predecessors, Alex Davison and Francesco Locatelli, the association is an expanding and very successful society. Which are the challenges that you perceive as a priority for this society?

Prof Cannata-Andia: The growth and expansion of the ERA-EDTA should be accompanied by a complete and ambitious Global Scientific Programme of activities capable of covering all areas in Nephrology. Some of these initiatives have already been recently discussed among the officers and Council members and they will soon be implemented. I will mention here three areas of interest: 1- The expansion and homogenization of our Basic and Advanced Educational Courses. In 2005, the ERA-EDTA planned 15 Courses, for 2006 we are planning to partially modify the contents and the venues in order to give more visibility to Countries or Regions which have never had the opportunity of hosting Educational activities promoted by the ERA-EDTA. 2- The implementation, promotion and endorsement of PanEuropean Research Projects, for example ”ARPA” (Arrest Progression of Renal Disease) which is a project initiated in the ERA-EDTA Council that we hope to launch soon. Other examples are the QUEST project (an ERA-EDTA Registry initiative) and “COSMOS”, which is a supported project linked to NDT-Educational. We are also working on the European Union Level in order to attain a higher degree of priority for projects dealing with Renal Disease. This is not an easy task since there is fierce competition with other Biomedicine areas. 3- The launch of a new Research Fellowship Exchange programme to help the mobility and training of young investigators and also to facilitate the consolidation of solid Renal Research networks is also a goal that we will pursue. In order to better finalize and propel scientific and educational initiatives the Council has decided to involve first class European Scientists external to the ERA-EDTA Council with the specific aim to form advisory groups. The goal is, therefore, to achieve our priorities as soon as possible but also in the best possible way.

Prof Zoccali: There is a tendency, within medical societies, to separate clinical from basic research. How can a solid bridge be maintained and hopefully strengthened between these two so fundamental sources of knowledge?

Prof Cannata-Andia: I believe there is a historical mistake beginning at the University. Nowadays, this division is negative, there is an objective that need to promote and increase the importance of the translational research. Both the Basic Science and the Clinical investigator need to “cross the road”. This is not an easy goal. Since 1987 I am leading a Clinical-Experimental Research Unit. Every year I accept Biomedical Students and Doctors –Clinician and basic researchers- , one of my main tasks is to make them familiar with the concept and usefulness of translational research. I feel that there is still a real gap to be filled. The ERA-EDTA scientific activities contemplate a “bench to bedside” approach in the vast majority of educational programmes.

Prof Zoccali: What would you do to establish solid collaborations with other Nephrology societies and with Nephrology in other continents, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania?

Prof Cannata-Andia: The ERA-EDTA has already collaborated with several other Societies of Nephrology, mainly with the ISN. We will continue with some of these collaborations but we will also foster our relationship with National and Continental Societies. Our first aim is that Nephrologists affiliated with the ERA-EDTA see the society as an added value for the National Societies. The second and complementary goal is to explore and develop fruitful collaborations with Non-European Societies dealing with Nephrology and also with Societies dealing with problems other than renal diseases. This year we have already started a joint venture with the American Society of Nephrology and we are planning to expand this project.

Prof Zoccali: What would you do to attract young doctors and talented investigators to the field of Nephrology?

Prof Cannata-Andia: As said, the ERA-EDTA will promote and endorse scientific activities aimed at favoring interaction between Basic and Clinical Science. In other words our Courses and Congresses will be aimed at increasing interest on all levels and in all areas of Nephrology. In addition, the ERA-EDTA will provide more help than before to young Basic and Clinical Scientists in terms of grants, reduced registration fees etc. We are also planning a much lower membership fee for young investigators, both in the field of Basic Science and in the clinical arena. We are determined to attract the most promising talents to the ERA-EDTA. In the framework of the European Training Centres initiative ( http://www.ndt-educational.org/training.asp ) started by NDT-educational we will try to give solid incentives towards programmes and international joint research projects.

Prof Zoccali: The growth of Nephrology in Eastern Countries and in Turkey is very impressive indeed and represents a great opportunity and a challenge for the ERA-EDTA. Which programmes has the society got for supporting Nephrology in these Countries?

Prof Cannata-Andia: Eastern Countries and Turkey have experimented exponential growth in Nephrology. Many Countries in Eastern Europe now give fundamental, first class contributions to Nephrology. Turkey is truly European minded as the Turkish Society of Nephrology has managed to register all Turkish Nephrologists as ERA-EDTA members. To maintain and even increase the growth in Eastern Countries and in Turkey we have actively collaborated in the organization of Educational Courses, Symposia and Lectures with national and international meetings held in these Countries.

Prof Zoccali: There seems to be a declining participation of Northern Countries to the life of ERA-EDTA. Is there anything that can be done to increase the participation of these Countries to activities of the ERA-EDTA?

Prof Cannata-Andia: Even though there are signs of recovering, we have witnessed a decrease in the participation in the ERA-EDTA life in some Northern Countries. We will maintain a pro-active attitude towards Northern Countries. Educational courses and exchange programmes will be our best card.

Prof Zoccali: Bone disease is a leading theme among your scientific interests. Do you feel that the bone-cardiovascular connection is a new key for rejuvenating research in this area?

Prof Cannata-Andia: I started being involved in bone disease 25 years ago when the aluminium toxicity was a real threat for patients with chronic renal failure. Fortunately, that great problem was drastically reduced a decade ago. Since then, the bone area has remained in a “plateau” until recently when new, fascinating epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies have shown unsuspected links between bone cells and smooth vascular cells. I believe we have already started a promising era of research. We are now much closer than ever before at improving clinical outcomes in patients with renal diseases.

Prof Zoccali: Which is your main research interest presently?

Prof Cannata-Andia: Presently we are working in different complementary areas trying to combine clinico-epidemiological research with basic research. We are involved in several epidemiological studies all of them centred on bone-cardiovascular outcomes. The abbreviations of these pan-European studies are EVOS-EPOS and COSMOS. Furthermore, in close collaboration with South American colleagues, we are also promoting collection of epidemiological data similar to the ones done in South America (CORES). We have a solid interest in dialysis and transplant patients and we are currently undertaking experimental “in vivo and in vitro” models to know more about the chronology of the molecular and genetic changes occurring in parathyroid glands in secondary hyperparathyroidism. We are also interested in genetic and environmental mechanisms(s) related to the activation of the Calcium-Sensing Receptor. Coming back to your previous question, we are also looking at epidemiological evidence and molecular links between bone loss and vascular calcification.

Prof Zoccali: Which hobbies do you have?

Prof Cannata-Andia: In the past I had more hobbies than I have now! My favourite sports are tennis and basketball. I played the latter for many years on competitive level. Now, I walk as much as I can, I enjoy photography, music and art. My artistic penchant is reinforced by my wife, Cristina, who is a dedicated and very creative painter.

Prof Zoccali: I know you like good cuisine and red wine. Which is your favorite dish and what wine do you drink with it, apart from Malbec?

Prof Cannata-Andia: This is the most difficult question! However if I have to choose an easily available –non exotic- dish and wine –Malbec apart-, I would choose “Roasted baby lamb from Castilla” with a good red “Ribera del Duero” wine.