Project Grant R01DK145713

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Massachusetts General Hospital $835,752 on September 1, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to develop molecular magnetic resonance imaging techniques for non-invasive assessment of inflammatory activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

The project aims to create a rapid, sensitive imaging test that evaluates intestinal inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract and provides clinically actionable readout to guide treatment decisions, assess disease location and severity, and evaluate treatment response. Current clinical approaches—endoscopic biopsy, fecal calprotectin testing, and magnetic resonance enterography—are either invasive, lack sensitivity for small intestinal disease, or are labor-intensive to interpret. The funding supports research to address a critical gap in IBD management, particularly for the 20–30 percent of patients who do not initially respond to therapy and the additional 30 percent who become non-responders despite initial remission signs.

The award is a Project Grant with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through May 31, 2031. Work is performed at Massachusetts General Hospital's Research Management Division in Charlestown, Massachusetts.