Project Grant R01DK143576

This federal Project Grant award of $803,748 was provided by 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 grant is funding research to investigate the modulation of insulin signaling in adipocytes (fat cells) and how improved adipocyte insulin sensitivity can contribute to positive metabolic outcomes. The research team at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the awardee, will deploy diverse tools to finetune the insulin response selectively in the adipocyte through approaches such as inducible reduction of insulin receptor expression, selective activation of an artificial insulin receptor, or manipulation of the insulin signaling modulator PTEN. The project aims to define the consequences of targeted reductions in beta-cell insulin release on the adipocyte and further the understanding of how adipocyte insulin signaling impacts systemic metabolic function. The award period is from September 5, 2025 to June 30, 2029.