Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Boston University Medical Campus received a $703,748 Project Grant 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 April 1, 2026, through February 28, 2030. The grant funds basic biomedical research aimed at elucidating the role of bacterial polyphosphates in exacerbating intestinal inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The research will characterize how polyphosphates produced by intestinal bacteria interfere with host mucosal immune responses, with particular focus on the JAK1/STAT1-dependent interleukin-27 signaling pathway. Research activities will be conducted at Boston University Medical Campus in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

The funded research addresses a significant public health need, as IBD affects approximately three million individuals in the United States. Through investigator-initiated basic research, the project will advance understanding of disease mechanisms underlying IBD pathobiology and may contribute to improved therapeutic strategies, including optimization of existing treatments such as mesalamine. The research leverages preliminary findings demonstrating that bacterial polyphosphate kinase deficiency reduces inflammation in experimental colitis models and that polyphosphate abundance correlates with IBD patient status, positioning the research to generate actionable insights for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment development in digestive diseases.