African Americans are five times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) than European Americans. One of the most common forms of CKD is focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), which causes scar tissue to develop in the small parts of the kidney that filter waste from the blood. It can lead to kidney failure, which can only be treated with dialysis or transplant. Researchers have discovered that a genetic variant in the APOL1 gene may provide protection against developing CKD in some Black Americans.