Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Colorado-Denver received a $117,000 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 performance in Aurora, Colorado. The award, obligated on February 10, 2026, with completion scheduled for January 31, 2028, funds research to identify extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived protein biomarkers of peripheral nervous system origin for diabetic neuropathy. The project employs proteomic analysis approaches to characterize membrane-bound EVs and their specific cellular origins, with particular focus on Schwann cell-derived EV cargo containing inflammatory and neurotrophic markers. These biomarkers have potential to address a critical gap in clinical practice by providing non-invasive, disease-specific diagnostics for diabetic neuropathy, a painful condition affecting approximately 50% of individuals with diabetes.

This research initiative supports NIDDK's broader objective of advancing understanding of disease mechanisms and improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for diabetes and its complications. By developing tissue-specific biomarkers through innovative EV proteomic techniques, the project contributes to foundational research that could enable improved natural history studies and interventional clinical trials in diabetic neuropathy, where current diagnostic and monitoring tools remain limited.