How diabetes speeds up kidney damage in people living with HIV

Elucidating the Molecular Mechanisms that Mediate DKD Progression in Patients Living with HIV

NIH-funded research Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11235106

This project looks at blood and kidney samples from people living with HIV who also have diabetes, plus lab models, to find the molecular reasons diabetic kidney disease progresses faster in this group.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11235106 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you have HIV and diabetes, researchers will compare gene activity in your blood and any available kidney samples with results from specialized lab mice to pinpoint what drives faster kidney damage. The team uses a mouse model that expresses low levels of HIV genes in kidney cells and will run bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing to see which cell types and pathways are affected. They will then compare those findings with samples from people living with HIV to confirm which molecular changes also occur in patients. The overall aim is to identify specific molecules that could be targeted by new treatments to slow or prevent diabetic kidney disease in people with HIV.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are people living with HIV who have diabetes or early signs of kidney disease and who can provide blood samples or, in some cases, kidney biopsy tissue.

Not a fit: People without HIV, people without diabetes, and those with end-stage kidney disease already on dialysis are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could identify molecular targets that lead to new treatments to slow or prevent diabetic kidney disease in people living with HIV.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work showed HIV can persist in kidneys and that HIV plus diabetes worsens kidney disease in models and some patient data, but detailed molecular mapping in humans remains relatively new.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.