Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $717,457 Project Grant award 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), effective February 15, 2026, with a completion date of November 30, 2030. The grant supports biomedical research investigating the immune-metabolic mechanisms linking type 2 diabetes to hypertension, addressing a critical gap in understanding metabolic syndrome pathogenesis. The research focuses on CD8 T cell activation and the role of ATP-P2X7 signaling and insulin-receptor-mediated pathways in disease progression, utilizing high-fat diet-induced type 2 diabetes mouse models and genetically modified knockout mice to elucidate shared pathogenic mechanisms between these comorbid conditions.

The funded research deliverables include three primary objectives: examining ATP-P2X7 signaling effects on CD8 T cell activation using global and cell-specific P2X7 knockout mice; investigating insulin-receptor-pannexin signaling in chronic T cell activation through T cell-specific knockout models; and characterizing the formation and functional consequences of immune-metabolic crosstalk during disease progression. These research activities are designed to identify therapeutic targets and improve understanding of how immune dysregulation in diabetes contributes to hypertension development, ultimately advancing prevention and treatment strategies for metabolic syndrome.