Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center received a $822,707 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 May 20, 2026 through March 31, 2030. This award funds investigator-initiated biomedical research designed to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and develop improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for kidney diseases and related disorders.

The project deliverables consist of basic and translational research aimed at elucidating the role of cathepsin K-dependent angiopoietin processing in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). The research program includes two parallel aims: (1) examining kidney molecular, cellular, and physiological outcomes in murine sepsis models through gain-of-function variants and macrophage-derived cathepsin K mechanisms, and (2) interrogating established research endpoints to validate findings. The funded research addresses a critical clinical gap in understanding vascular destabilization mechanisms in sepsis that contribute to multi-organ dysfunction and mortality during hospitalization, with potential applications for pharmacological intervention strategies to ameliorate acute kidney and lung injury outcomes.