Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Colorado-Denver received a $775,293 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), with funding obligated on June 15, 2026 and a completion date of February 28, 2031. This award supports basic and clinical biomedical research investigating the role of polyamines in cholestatic liver disease, specifically biliary atresia (BA), a leading indication for pediatric liver transplantation. The research will deliver scientific knowledge and experimental outcomes examining how polyamine supplementation can reduce hepatic injury through stimulation of macrophage efferocytosis (apoptotic cell removal) and reprogramming macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype, utilizing both human patient data analysis and murine disease models.

The project will produce research deliverables including mechanistic studies defining how polyamines regulate macrophage function in BA, investigation of polyamine-induced macrophage phenotypic changes, and preclinical evidence supporting polyamine administration as a potential therapeutic intervention. The research conducted at the Aurora, Colorado facility will advance the scientific understanding of immune cell dysfunction in cholestatic liver disease and potentially identify novel therapeutic targets for a severe pediatric condition, contributing to the NIDDK program's objective of improving understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of digestive and metabolic diseases through investigator-initiated biomedical research.