How fat-handling immune cells affect kidneys in type 2 diabetes
Official title: Lipid-associated macrophages in diabetic kidney disease
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11293484 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether changing how certain immune cells that store and clear fats work can help protect people with type 2 diabetes from worsening kidney damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | February 17, 2020 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $612,809 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK121756-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11293484 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with type 2 diabetes, especially those with albuminuria or high triglyceride-rich lipoprotein levels, would be the most relevant group for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes, those whose kidney disease is not related to lipid problems, or those with very advanced kidney failure are unlikely to benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
We focus on special immune cells called lipid-associated macrophages that gather lipids in diabetic kidneys and may prevent harm to other kidney cells. In mice with diabetic, human-like blood lipid patterns we will remove or stimulate macrophage lipid-handling proteins (CD36 and TREM2) using bone marrow approaches and a TREM2 agonist. We will also try to boost macrophage clearing of dead cells (efferocytosis) by increasing MerTK activity to see if that slows kidney damage. The team links these experiments to human findings that apolipoprotein C3 levels predict kidney decline in people with type 2 diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that target macrophages to slow or prevent kidney damage in people with type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked abnormal blood lipids and APOC3 to kidney decline and have identified lipid-associated macrophages in other disease settings, but targeting CD36/TREM2/MerTK in diabetic kidney disease is a relatively new and experimental approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kanter, Jenny E. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Kanter, Jenny E.
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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.