NRG4-ErbB4 signaling and kidney disease
Official title: The role of NRG4-ErbB4 signaling in kidney disease
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11447640 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Vanderbilt will explore how a specific protein signaling pathway (NRG4-ErbB4) affects kidney injury and scarring, with the goal of identifying new ways to protect kidney health in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 1997 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $856,322 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK051265-29A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447640 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with or at risk for acute kidney injury or kidney fibrosis may indirectly benefit from future therapies stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without kidney disease are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic biology study.
What this research studies
This project looks at how ErbB4 signals inside kidney cells and immune cells during acute kidney injury and fibrosis. The researchers will examine how NRG4-ErbB4 interactions influence inflammation, cell death, and tissue remodeling in the kidney. By studying human-relevant pathways in a model system, they aim to uncover targets that could guide future therapies for kidney disease. The work builds on prior findings about EGFR and related pathways, focusing on ErbB4’s potentially protective or harmful roles in kidney repair.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could identify new targets to prevent or reduce kidney injury and fibrosis in patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests ErbB4 signaling can have contrasting effects in kidney cells, indicating both potential benefits and complexities in targeting this pathway.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Raymond C. — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Harris, Raymond C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Personalized CKD-MBD care using systems biology and AI
A patient-facing program aims to tailor mineral-balance therapy for people with chronic kidney disease by using a computer model and smart decision rules to predict who will respond best to treatments.
-
Mitigating DKA in people with type 1 diabetes and kidney disease using SGLT1/2 inhibitors
This project tests a new way to prevent dangerous diabetic ketoacidosis in people with type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who are using SGLT inhibitors, by tracking ketones in real time and combining glucose-keton data for safer therapy.
-
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children: following young people as they grow up with CKD
A long-term study in kids with chronic kidney disease tracks kidney function and heart health as they transition into adulthood.
-
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children follow-up study
A long-term study that follows kids with kidney disease as they grow into young adults, collecting health data from home and official records.
-
KDARC: Building a research backbone to study aging and kidney disease
Aimed at creating a dedicated infrastructure to advance aging-related kidney disease research so clinicians can better care for older adults.
-
Malaria-related kidney injury and its link to chronic kidney disease in children
This grant looks at why some children who have malaria develop kidney injury and later chronic kidney disease, focusing on how severe malaria affects the kidneys over time.
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.