“We are breaking down a barrier that has certainly never been crossed before,” says Dr. Michio Hirano, who plans to perform MRT for the Shulmans as part of a study.

"There are multiple genetic causes of chronic kidney disease," Ali Gharavi, chief of nephrology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a news release.

But colleges often struggle to provide effective treatment options, says Randy P. Auerbach, an associate professor in the psychiatry department at Columbia University.

Many women may find symptoms eased by hormone replacement therapy, said Dr. Michelle Warren of Columbia University Irving Medical Center.