How damaged kidney tubule cells use fatty acids
Official title: The Role of Fatty Acid Oxidation in Injured Kidney Tubules
Funded at St. Louis VA Medical Center · NIH-11247960 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether changing how kidney tubule cells burn fats can prevent or reduce sudden kidney injury in people at risk, like those having heart bypass surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Louis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (St. Louis, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2018 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX003425-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11247960 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People at high risk for ischemic acute kidney injury—for example patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery—would be the most likely future candidates for related trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with end-stage kidney disease or kidney injury caused by problems unrelated to tubular fatty acid metabolism may not benefit from these specific findings.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are studying how the tiny tube cells in the kidney get energy from fat and how that changes after injury. They use genetically modified mice that lack key fat-burning enzymes in kidney tubules and two different injury models that mimic surgery-related and toxin-related acute kidney injury. The team will also test ranolazine, an FDA-approved drug that affects fat metabolism, to see if it can prevent injury in these preclinical models. Findings will help decide if this approach could move toward human trials to prevent surgery-related kidney damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new medicines or preventive treatments to lower the risk of sudden kidney injury and its progression to chronic kidney disease.
How similar studies have gone: Early animal data from this team suggest blocking CPT1A can protect kidneys in models, and ranolazine is known to affect fat burning, but this approach remains largely preclinical and unproven in people with AKI.
Where this research is happening
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St. Louis VA Medical Center
St. Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gewin, Leslie S — St. Louis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Gewin, Leslie S
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.