Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded Columbia University's Health Sciences Division a Project Grant totaling $587,470 under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to investigate the role of a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) designated LNC15 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis. The award, effective March 16, 2026, through January 31, 2030, supports basic research aimed at characterizing how LNC15 functions as a regulatory molecule in IBD susceptibility. This R01 investigation will elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which LNC15 controls T-bet messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, thereby modulating CD4+ T cell conventional and T regulatory cell functions in experimental colitis models, with findings expected to illuminate IBD susceptibility mechanisms in patients.

The research deliverables include comprehensive molecular characterization studies demonstrating how genome-wide association study (GWAS) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with IBD alter LNC15 structure and function, mechanistic analysis of how LNC15 post-transcriptionally regulates T-bet expression, and experimental validation in murine disease models including dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis and T cell transfer colitis. These research activities are designed to advance the understanding of digestive disease mechanisms, a core objective of the NIDDK extramural research program, and will generate foundational knowledge applicable to prevention and treatment of IBD in patient populations.