Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai received a $816,825 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), awarded on April 15, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2031. The grant funds basic biomedical research investigating the molecular mechanisms of proliferative glomerulopathy, specifically examining how injured podocytes communicate with parietal epithelial cells (PECs) through exosome-mediated signaling to drive crescent formation in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN). The research utilizes in vivo mouse models and ex vivo cell culture systems to identify podocyte-derived exosomal cargo, including microRNAs, responsible for pathogenic PEC activation and proliferation.

The deliverables include scientific findings from mechanistic studies using nephrotoxic serum nephritis models, pharmacological inhibition studies, urinary exosome characterization, and small-ribonucleic acid sequencing analyses. These research outputs are designed to elucidate disease pathogenesis and identify potential therapeutic targets for treating aggressive forms of acquired glomerular disease, thereby supporting NIDDK's mission to improve understanding and treatment of kidney diseases through investigator-initiated extramural research.