Dr. Tarek Abd El-Aziz Publishes Major Research on Kidney Sodium Regulation and Blood Pressure
Egyptian researcher’s seven-year scientific journey reveals a key cellular mechanism that may deepen understanding of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Dr. Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz has announced the publication of major research findings examining how the kidneys regulate sodium balance and how this process may influence blood pressure.
Dr. Abd El-Aziz is a member of the International Egyptian Youth Club, an initiative affiliated with New Egypt Group. His latest achievement represents the culmination of a research journey that began in 2019 and continued across leading scientific institutions in Japan and the United States.
The journey started while he was conducting research at Kyoto University in Japan. He later moved to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he continued developing the project.
According to Dr. Abd El-Aziz, findings associated with the broader research project have appeared in internationally recognized scientific journals, including Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, part of Springer Nature, and PNAS Nexus, published in association with the United States National Academy of Sciences.
Understanding a Critical Kidney Channel
The study focuses on the Epithelial Sodium Channel, known as ENaC, which is located in specialized kidney cells and plays a central role in regulating sodium absorption, fluid balance, and blood pressure.
Researchers identified an important cellular mechanism involving CK2-dependent phosphorylation. This process enables a protein called Ankyrin-3 to bind to ENaC and stabilize the channel on the surface of the cell.
In simple terms, CK2 helps Ankyrin-3 connect with ENaC, allowing the sodium channel to remain in the correct position and perform its function properly.
When researchers disrupted this pathway, ENaC activity declined significantly and sodium loss through urine increased.
The findings offer a deeper understanding of how the kidneys control sodium balance and may open new areas of research into blood pressure regulation, particularly salt-sensitive hypertension.
The study, titled “ENaC Phosphorylation Facilitates Ankyrin-3 Interaction Critical for Renal Sodium Balance,” was published in PNAS Nexus in July 2026.
Dr. Abd El-Aziz served as the lead and corresponding author. The publication also listed Minia University in Egypt alongside the participating American research institutions.
Years of Research and International Recognition
The early findings of the project contributed to Dr. Abd El-Aziz receiving several scientific honors, including a Renal Section Research Recognition Award from the American Physiological Society in 2022.
He was also named Best Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology in 2021 and received Egypt’s State Encouragement Award in 2023 from the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.
The research brought together several scientists and collaborators, including Dr. James Stockand, Dr. Antonio Soares, and Dr. Amr Setouhi, Professor of Cardiology at the Faculty of Medicine at Minia University.
Dr. Abd El-Aziz credited scientific freedom as one of the most important factors behind the success of the project. He emphasized the value of giving researchers sufficient space to think, experiment, make mistakes, reconsider their hypotheses, and explore new ideas.
His experience demonstrates how a question about a microscopic process inside a single cell can eventually contribute to understanding the function of an entire organ and the mechanisms behind diseases affecting millions of people.
Reflecting on the seven-year journey, Dr. Abd El-Aziz said:
“A journey that began with a question in 2019—and seven years later, every answer continues to open the door to new questions. That may be the most beautiful part of scientific research.”
New Egypt Group and the International Egyptian Youth Club congratulated Dr. Abd El-Aziz on the achievement, describing his scientific career as an inspiring example of Egyptian excellence and a source of encouragement for young researchers in Egypt and around the world.
Published research:
https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgag253
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