Jordan Gaspore

But that's changing.

That's Dr. Jonathan Barrett.

He's based at the University of Leicester in England and is a world-renowned leader in kidney research.

One reason it was so under-researched is that in the early stages, symptoms are often hard to detect.

In many cases, it starts with an asymptomatic person having a urine test, like in Rachel's case, with a routine urine test during pregnancy.

Here's what we do know about the disease.

Over time, sometimes months, sometimes years, your kidney function declines.

In fact, we know the majority of adult patients with IgA nephropathy will progress to end-stage kidney disease, which requires them to go on dialysis or get a transplant within 20 years of diagnosis.

Dr. Barrett says there is evidence of a genetic component, but the connections aren't strong enough to do genetic screening.

Right now, the only way to diagnose IgA nephropathy is with a kidney biopsy.

For people diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, the biological effects are only part of the problem.

Addressing that fear and uncertainty requires showing patients there is a way forward.

And that's what the team at Vertex is doing.

IgA nephropathy represents exactly the kind of medical problem Vertex is targeting.

There's a long history of research to build on, there's new technology available, or Vertex thinks they can develop it, there's a large unmet need, and Vertex thinks it may be possible to tackle the underlying disease.

That's Mark Bunnage.

He's the head of research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and leads research on the company's pipeline of serious diseases.

Earlier, Dr. Barrett explained how IgA nephropathy occurs.

It's a buildup of what he calls big globs of protein that deposit and cause injury to the filters in your kidneys.

But how can we stop that from happening?