Project Grant K01DK146245

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Boston Medical Center Corporation $152,777 on August 13, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to investigate the role of uremic toxins as mediators of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome and peripheral artery disease in chronic kidney disease patients.

The research examines tryptophan-derived uremic toxins, particularly kynurenine and its metabolites, as vasculotoxic factors contributing to adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the setting of kidney disease. The study will employ genetic engineering and enzyme inhibitors to assess endothelial cell function in the presence of specific uremic toxins and to characterize the enzymes responsible for generating these solutes. The work addresses a significant public health gap, as the pathogenic mediators underlying cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome remain poorly understood despite affecting millions of Americans and driving premature mortality.

The period of performance runs through August 1, 2031, with place of performance in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Boston Medical Center Corporation, a tax-exempt academic medical center and safety-net hospital, serves as the award recipient. The assistance type is Project Grant, structured to support basic and clinical biomedical research that advances understanding of disease mechanisms and improves prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in diabetes, digestive, and kidney diseases.