{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T12:36:14Z","timestamp":1792154174870,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,6]],"date-time":"2025-04-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743897600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a transmembrane protein that is significantly upregulated in renal cells following injury. It has considerable potential as a biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This review examines KIM-1 expression across multiple biological sources\u2014including tissue, blood, and urine\u2014and highlights its strong association with RCC risk. Clinical studies have shown that KIM-1 levels decline within weeks after nephrectomy, underscoring its utility in assessing therapeutic response. Additionally, urinary KIM-1 levels correlate with histopathological outcomes following cisplatin treatment, supporting its role as a non-invasive marker for treatment effectiveness. Despite these promising findings, several challenges remain. These include variability in assay performance and the modulatory effects of the tumour microenvironment on KIM-1 expression. Overcoming these technical limitations is crucial for integrating KIM-1 into clinical workflows. Furthermore, its potential role in guiding combination therapies\u2014such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and mTOR inhibitors\u2014could enhance therapeutic precision while minimizing toxicity. Continued research is essential to validate these applications and facilitate the routine clinical use of KIM-1 in RCC management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms26073431","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]],"date-time":"2025-04-07T11:24:39Z","timestamp":1744025079000},"page":"3431","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Kidney Injury Molecule-1 as a Biomarker for Renal Cancer: Current Insights and Future Perspectives\u2014A Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Drago\u0219","family":"Puia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cGrigore T Popa\u201d, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Urology, \u201cDr. C.I. Parhon\u201d Clinical Hospital, 700503 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Center for Morphological and Spectroscopic Analysis of Urinary Stones \u201cMichel Daudon\u201d, 700503 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marius","family":"Iv\u0103nu\u021b\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cGrigore T Popa\u201d, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Urology, \u201cDr. C.I. Parhon\u201d Clinical Hospital, 700503 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Center for Morphological and Spectroscopic Analysis of Urinary Stones \u201cMichel Daudon\u201d, 700503 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C\u0103t\u0103lin","family":"Pricop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cGrigore T Popa\u201d, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Urology, \u201cDr. C.I. Parhon\u201d Clinical Hospital, 700503 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"Center for Morphological and Spectroscopic Analysis of Urinary Stones \u201cMichel Daudon\u201d, 700503 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5594","DOI":"10.1158\/1078-0432.CCR-18-1496","article-title":"KIM-1 as a Blood-Based Marker for Early Detection of Kidney Cancer: A Prospective Nested Case-Control Study","volume":"24","author":"Scelo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin. Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.14740\/wjon1279","article-title":"Epidemiology of Renal Cell Carcinoma","volume":"11","author":"Padala","year":"2020","journal-title":"World J. 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