How belly fat and the hormone leptin may worsen immune problems and high blood pressure in women with lupus
Official title: The Impact of Obesity and Leptin on the Development of Immune System Dysfunction and Hypertension in Females with Systemic Lupus Erythematous
Funded at Augusta University · NIH-11180418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether extra visceral fat and higher leptin levels make immune dysfunction and high blood pressure worse in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Augusta University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Augusta, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $298,388 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HL169191-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180418 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus—especially those with central/visceral obesity or elevated leptin—would be most relevant to the findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without SLE or whose high blood pressure is caused by unrelated factors (not linked to obesity or leptin) are less likely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers will use two female mouse models that mimic human lupus and develop high blood pressure to mimic disease processes seen in women with SLE. They will measure visceral fat, leptin levels, autoantibodies, and immune cells in fat and blood as disease progresses. The team will alter adipose tissue surgically and with drugs, and manipulate leptin or immune-cell activity to see how those changes affect lupus severity and hypertension. Results are intended to point to pathways that could be targeted to lower cardiovascular risk in people with SLE.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify targets related to obesity and leptin that might reduce immune-driven inflammation and hypertension in women with lupus.
How similar studies have gone: Prior clinical and animal work has linked leptin and visceral fat to worse autoimmunity and cardiovascular risk, but combining mechanistic leptin/adipose interventions in female lupus models is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Augusta University
Augusta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taylor, Erin Bassford — Augusta University
- Study coordinator: Taylor, Erin Bassford
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Obesity, leptin, and immune system changes linked to high blood pressure in women with lupus
Aims to understand how obesity and leptin influence immune dysfunction and high blood pressure in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
-
Targeting brain support cells to fight obesity-related high blood pressure
A study from the University of Iowa is looking at how brain cells called astrocytes may influence obesity-related hypertension and whether targeting them could help lower blood pressure.
-
Tissue transglutaminase as a target to reduce vascular stiffening and high blood pressure in obesity
A study explores whether blocking a specific enzyme in blood vessels can prevent stiffness and high blood pressure that often come with obesity.
-
Brainstem glial aging and dysfunction in obesity-related high blood pressure
This NIH grant explores how support cells in the brainstem (glia) become dysfunctional in obesity and contribute to high blood pressure, with findings that could lead to better treatments.
-
Angiotensin-(1-7) for obesity-related high blood pressure
This work looks at whether a natural hormone called angiotensin-(1-7) can lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel and metabolic health in people with obesity-linked hypertension.
-
How brain signals link obesity to high blood pressure
Looking at how brain signals in people with obesity cause high blood pressure to help find better ways to lower it.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.