How fatty molecules in the kidney affect diabetes- and obesity-related kidney damage
Official title: Role of Glycosphingolipids in Kidney Disease in Diabetes and Obesity
Funded at Georgetown University · NIH-11261163 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see if lowering a specific kidney fat called glucosylceramide can help people with diabetes or obesity avoid or slow kidney damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | January 20, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $831,580 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139676-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261163 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with diabetes or obesity who are at risk for or have early-stage chronic kidney disease (for example, protein in the urine or mildly reduced kidney function) would be most relevant to these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People whose kidney disease is caused by non-diabetic conditions or who already have very advanced or end-stage kidney failure are less likely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will use mouse models that mimic diabetes and obesity to lower glucosylceramide specifically in two kidney cell types (podocytes and tubular cells) and watch what happens to kidney health. They will measure lipid levels with advanced mass spectrometry and imaging, map which kidney cells change using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and ATAC-seq combined with spatial transcriptomics, and test how lowering glucosylceramide affects mitochondrial function. The team will connect molecular changes to inflammation and kidney scarring to understand whether this lipid drives disease progression. Findings could point to new targets for treating or preventing diabetic and obesity-related chronic kidney disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent or slow kidney damage in people with diabetes or obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Related preclinical studies have linked glycosphingolipids to metabolic and kidney problems and suggest targeting them can help in animals, but human therapies based on this approach are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgetown University
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levi, Moshe — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Levi, Moshe
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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.