Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center received a $714,898 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 July 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031. The award funds research investigating the role of regulatory CD4+ T cells (Treg cells) in the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The research addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding immunoregulatory mechanisms in the liver microenvironment, specifically examining how hepatic Treg cell characteristics and functions are shaped during MASLD progression and how inflammatory conditions may alter Treg cell phenotype and suppress their anti-inflammatory function.

The research deliverables include scientific findings and data characterizing Treg cell dynamics in both human and murine models of MASLD, with particular focus on how nutrient availability and microenvironmental cytokine signals regulate Treg cell adaptation and inflammatory activity in the liver. This basic and translational research is expected to contribute to improved understanding of disease etiopathogenesis and inform the development of more effective therapeutic interventions for MASLD and its progression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), addressing a major global health priority with currently limited therapeutic options.