Federal Grant Award Summary

Tufts University School of Medicine received a $232,000 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 March 12, 2026, with completion targeted for February 28, 2027. The research focuses on investigating the role of Interferon Regulatory Factor 8 (IRF8), a transcription factor expressed in adipocytes, in regulating brown and white adipose tissue metabolism and its relationship to diet-induced obesity. The study will examine how IRF8 expression changes in response to high-fat diet consumption and its impact on thermogenesis, chronic inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and systemic insulin resistance in mice.

The primary deliverables from this project include foundational research findings on IRF8's specific mechanisms in white and brown adipocytes, characterization of gene expression patterns and metabolic pathways altered by IRF8 in response to both low-fat and high-fat diets, and analysis of IRF8's role in obesity-associated metabolic complications. This research will advance scientific understanding of adipocyte dysfunction in diet-induced obesity and may inform future therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases and insulin resistance.