RNA splicing changes in kidney tubules and diabetic kidney disease
Official title: Proximal Tubule Alternative Splicing and Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11263698 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to understand how changes in RNA splicing inside kidney tubule cells during diabetes may cause kidney damage and point to new treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $522,429 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK136663-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11263698 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who have early signs of diabetic kidney disease or worsening kidney function would be the most likely candidates to benefit from therapies that come from this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes, those whose kidney disease is from other causes, or patients already on dialysis are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical, mechanism-focused project.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team is using high-resolution single-nucleus RNA sequencing in a mouse model of diabetic kidney disease to map how kidney tubule cells change. They found that a splicing regulator called Srsf7 drops in diabetes and is specifically restored by SGLT2 inhibitor treatment, and they will follow up with lab experiments that lower or raise Srsf7 in tubule cells to see how splicing and inflammation change. The work combines mouse models and cell-based experiments to link splicing changes to tubulointerstitial fibrosis, a driver of kidney decline. If needed, the group may connect these findings to human kidney biology to guide future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new molecular targets to prevent kidney scarring and slow progression to end-stage kidney disease in people with diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: SGLT2 inhibitors are already shown to protect kidneys in people with diabetes, but tying that benefit to RNA splicing and the Srsf7 pathway is a new idea supported so far by promising mouse and cell data.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Humphreys, Benjamin D. — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Humphreys, Benjamin D.
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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.