Hello from Greycoat Research,

A new paper by Dr. Toru Miyazaki on feline chronic kidney disease and the AIM protein was recently published.

This study explores how AIM may influence the course of feline kidney disease. It may be especially meaningful for cat guardians who are closely following the development of AIM treatment.

The paper was published in the February 2026 issue of The Veterinary Journal:

A clinical impact of apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage on feline chronic kidney disease

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023326000018

Today, we would like to explain the key points in simple terms.

What does AIM do?

AIM is a protein that helps mark damaged or unwanted substances in the body so they can be cleared away.

When AIM attaches to damaged cells or harmful substances, macrophages — the body’s cleanup cells — can recognize them and help remove them.

In simple terms, AIM is part of the body’s internal cleanup system.

However, in cats, this system may not work efficiently enough.

Feline AIM binds very strongly to IgM, a protein found in the blood. Because of this, AIM may not detach easily when it is needed, making it harder for it to do its job.

Simply put, cats do have AIM, but it may not always be able to work when it is needed most.

What did this study examine?

This study looked at what happens when AIM is given to cats with chronic kidney disease.

The researchers wanted to know whether AIM could influence kidney disease progression and survival in cats.

They reviewed 216 cats with CKD and selected cats with more advanced kidney disease, using creatinine levels as one of the key criteria.

They then compared cats that received AIM with cats that did not receive AIM.

The core question was simple:

If cats receive AIM,
can it change the course of feline kidney disease?

What happened after cats received AIM?

The results were striking.

In the untreated control group, the cats’ condition continued to worsen over time, and the 360-day survival rate dropped to around 20%.

In contrast, the AIM-treated group showed a 360-day survival rate of around 80%.

This was not just a small improvement. It suggested that the overall course of the disease may have changed.

Blood markers also showed a clear difference.

In the untreated group, kidney-related blood markers and uremic toxins continued to worsen over time.

In the AIM-treated group, however, these markers worsened less or remained relatively stable.

What did AIM change inside the body?

The researchers also looked more deeply at changes inside the body, including metabolites and proteins.

They found that several toxic metabolites that tend to increase in CKD were reduced or prevented from rising further.

They also found changes related to inflammation, suggesting that AIM may affect more than kidney values alone.

This suggests that AIM may not simply affect one blood value. It may also help the body clear problematic substances and reduce inflammation-related stress.

In simple terms, AIM may help reactivate the body’s cleanup function and influence the course of kidney disease in cats.

Why this paper matters

Feline chronic kidney disease is not only a problem of declining kidney function.

As waste products, damaged cellular materials, inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic imbalance build up in the body, the kidneys may face an even greater burden over time.

This AIM study suggests that restoring the body’s cleanup system may become an important direction in feline kidney disease treatment.

That is why many cat guardians have high expectations for AIM treatment.

Until AIM treatment becomes available

The results of this AIM treatment study are very promising.

However, it may still take time before AIM treatment becomes widely available to cat guardians.

Until then, what we can do is support our cats as steadily as possible through daily care.

Greycoat Research has designed kidney support supplement routines that consider multiple aspects of feline kidney care, including uremic toxin load, oxidative stress, inflammation, cellular energy, and the gut-kidney axis.

Supplements cannot replace AIM treatment.

However, until AIM treatment becomes widely available, supplements can be a realistic way to support a more stable kidney care routine.

Supporting cats with kidney disease

Greycoat Research supports cats with kidney disease and the guardians who care for them.

Until the day AIM treatment becomes widely available, we believe it is important to start with the care that is available now.

Warmly,
Greycoat Research