Nigwekar Lab: Sagar Nigwekar, MD, MMSc

Overview

My primary research focus is calciphylaxis (also known as calcific uremic arteriolopathy) and it aims to develop effective treatments and diagnostic tests for patients with calciphylaxis.

Calciphylaxis, a dermal arteriolar calcification disorder, has significant mortality and morbidity. I am leading multiple research studies in calciphylaxis patients. These studies address risk factors and pathogenesis of calciphylaxis and guide development and examination of novel treatments and diagnostic modalities for this highly fatal disease. Our team is currently enrolling patients in the first ever randomized controlled trial for calciphylaxis wherein we are testing vitamin K supplementation as a potential therapy. More details regarding this trial are available at Clinicaltrials.gov.

Our team also aims to apply the knowledge gained from calciphylaxis research to investigate other forms of vascular calcifications.

I am also involved in the epidemiological and translational investigations in the areas of hyponatremia, nephrolithiasis and olfaction-malnutrition.

Learn more about the Calciphylaxis Program at Mass General

References

1. Nigwekar SU. An unusual case of nonhealing leg ulcer in a diabetic patient.South Med J. 2007; 100(8):851-2. PMID: 17713318.
2. Nigwekar SU, Wolf M, Sterns RH, Hix JK. Calciphylaxis from nonuremic causes: a systematic review. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008; 3(4):1139-43. PMID: 18417747; PMCID: PMC2440281
3. Nigwekar SU, Brunelli SM, Meade D, Wang W, Hymes J, Lacson E Jr. Sodium thiosulfate therapy for calcific uremic arteriolopathy. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2013; 8(7):1162-70. PMID: 23520041; PMCID: PMC3700696.
4. Nigwekar SU, Bhan I, Turchin A, Skentzos SC, Hajhosseiny R, Steele D, Nazarian RM, Wenger J, Parikh S, Karumanchi A, Thadhani R. Statin use and calcific uremic arteriolopathy: a matched case-control study. Am J Nephrol. 2013; 37(4):325-32. PMID: 23548843; PMCID: PMC4110510.
5. Nigwekar SU, Wenger J, Thadhani R, Bhan I. Hyponatremia, mineral metabolism, and mortality in incident maintenance hemodialysis patients: a cohort study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2013; 62(4):755-62. PMID: 23591291; PMCID: PMC3972035.
6. Strazzula L, Nigwekar SU, Steele D, Tsiaras W, Sise M, Bis S, Smith GP, Kroshinsky D. Intralesional sodium thiosulfate for the treatment of calciphylaxis. JAMA Dermatol. 2013; 149(8):946-9. PMID: 23760631
7. Allegretti AS, Nazarian RM, Goverman J, Nigwekar SU. Calciphylaxis: a rare but fatal delayed complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Am J Kidney Dis. 2014;64(2):274-7. PMID: 24787764.
8. Nigwekar SU, Solid CA, Ankers E, Malhotra R, Eggert W, Turchin A, Thadhani RI, Herzog CA. Quantifying a rare disease in administrative data: the example of calciphylaxis. J Gen Intern Med. 2014;29 Suppl 3:S724-31. PMID: 25029979; PMCID: PMC4124115.
9. Nigwekar SU, Kroshinsky D, Nazarian RM, Goverman J, Malhotra R, Jackson VA, Kamdar MM, Steele DJ, Thadhani RI. Calciphylaxis: risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Am J Kidney Dis. 2015; 66(1):133-46. PMID: 25960299; PMCID: PMC4696752.
10. Lloyd WR, Agarwal S, Nigwekar SU, Esmonde-White K, Loder S, Fagan S, Goverman J, Olsen BR, Jumlongras D, Morris MD, Levi B. Raman spectroscopy for label-free identification of calciphylaxis. J Biomed Opt. 2015; 20(8):80501. PMID: 26263412; PMCID: PMC4689104.
11. Nigwekar SU. Multidisciplinary approach to calcific uremic arteriolopathy.Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2015; 24(6):531-7. PMID: 26371529.
12. Paul S, Rabito CA, Vedak P, Nigwekar SU, Kroshinsky D. The Role of Bone Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis of Calciphylaxis. JAMA Dermatol. 2015 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26677101.