Federal Grant Award Summary

Award: Spatial Profiling of Pancreatic N-Glycosylation in Type 1 Diabetes
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Federal Grant Program: Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research (CFDA 93.847)
Awardee: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Forest Hills, TN
Award Amount: $175,000.00
Award Date: May 20, 2026
Project Completion Date: April 30, 2028

This Project Grant supports fundamental biomedical research investigating protein N-glycosylation alterations in pancreatic tissue during Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. The research employs state-of-the-art imaging technologies to conduct spatial profiling of N-glycans—complex carbohydrate chains enzymatically attached to asparagine residues in proteins—across pancreatic endocrine cells, exocrine cells, and extracellular matrix components. The primary research deliverable is characterization of how glycosylation patterns change during disease progression and their contribution to immune cell localization, phenotype alterations, and structural changes within the diabetic pancreas.

The project addresses a significant knowledge gap in T1D research by examining the pancreatic glycome's role in autoimmune activation, an area previously understudied due to limited availability of appropriate human tissue samples and analytical complexity. This research aligns with NIDDK's programmatic objective to promote biomedical research improving understanding of disease mechanisms and leading to improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Findings are expected to enhance fundamental understanding of T1D pathogenesis and potentially identify novel therapeutic targets related to altered glycosylation patterns.