Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Pittsburgh received a $812,862 Project Grant awarded on June 12, 2026, 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). The research will be conducted through March 31, 2030, and focuses on identifying novel biomarkers for early progressive kidney function decline in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). The project will utilize urinary and plasma peptidomics analysis—examining synthesized peptides and degraded protein fragments—to discover prognostic markers that enable earlier detection of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) before traditional clinical indicators such as urinary albumin excretion rate and glomerular filtration rate become detectable.

The research will leverage existing data and biological samples from three well-phenotyped T1D cohorts to investigate whether urinary and plasma degradome signatures independently predict both early and advanced kidney disease outcomes. The study addresses significant knowledge gaps in prior peptidomics research by examining larger sample sizes, analyzing degradome changes over time, assessing prognostic value for end-stage kidney disease endpoints, and including diverse populations stratified by glycemic control, intensive therapy, and sex. Findings from this research are expected to yield clinically relevant biomarkers and improve understanding of the underlying biological processes driving kidney disease progression in Type 1 Diabetes.