Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc. received a $132,180 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), awarded July 3, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2029. The grant supports research assessing the role of gastrointestinal mechanosensation in regulating feeding behavior and glucose homeostasis, with particular focus on understanding how intestinal stretch sensing through vagal afferent neurons expressing oxytocin receptors influences satiety and metabolic function in a sex-specific manner. The research seeks to elucidate dysfunctional intestinal mechanosensation in obesity by examining how disrupted gut-brain signaling pathways contribute to impaired satiety and glucose regulation, leveraging preliminary findings that demonstrate intestinal stretch-induced effects on food intake and glucose tolerance differ between sexes and are compromised in diet-induced obese mice.

This project directly supports the NIDDK's mandate to fund basic and clinical biomedical research improving understanding of diabetes and metabolic diseases, with specific relevance to obesity research and clinical nutrition. The research addresses a critical public health need by investigating potential mechanistic targets for developing more effective obesity interventions through improved understanding of peripheral-central nervous system signaling in energy and glucose homeostasis.