Federal Grant Award Summary

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center received a $757,885 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 1, 2026 through December 31, 2029. The award funds rigorous mechanistic research investigating whether maladaptive repair cell states in acute kidney injury (AKI) progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be therapeutically targeted. The research builds upon prior discovery identifying SOX9 as a critical switch determining healing with or without fibrosis at the single-cell level in mammalian kidneys, and extends investigation into two druggable candidates: RUNX1 (a transcription factor) and SMARCC1 (a chromatin remodeler).

The research deliverables include comprehensive mechanistic studies utilizing multiple advanced analytical methods—including tamoxifen-inducible loss-of-function studies, lineage-specific single-cell RNA sequencing, single-nuclei assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing, and chromatin profiling studies—conducted across two clinically relevant AKI-to-CKD progression models. This work is designed to generate evidence supporting potential therapeutic interventions targeting the RUNX1/SMARCC1 pathway to prevent maladaptive kidney repair and halt disease progression, with validation through human transplant biopsy profiling studies.