Using MRI to detect kidney scarring without a biopsy

This trial is testing whether a specialized MRI technique called Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) can accurately detect scarring and damage in kidneys of people with chronic kidney disease. Researchers want to see if this imaging method can work as well as a kidney biopsy — but without needing an invasive procedure. The study will compare kidney MRI scans from people with chronic kidney disease to scans from healthy volunteers.

Currently, doctors use kidney biopsies to diagnose scarring, but biopsies are invasive, risky, and only look at a tiny piece of the kidney. Many people with kidney damage don't show it on standard blood tests until the damage is severe. This new MRI technique could offer a safer, non-invasive way to detect scarring early and track how the disease is progressing.